Contemporary Greek culture and traditions are very rich and diverse, reflecting Greece’s location at the crossing point where the West meets the East and the country’s great and turbulent history. This rich and tumultuous past greatly influences contemporary lifestyle, the Greek perspective on the world, Greek music, food, customs and traditions, even the way Greeks do business. Greeks as a whole are extremely proud of their history, their cultural heritage and their contribution to literature, art, philosophy and politics. They speak with intense passion of their country as the cradle of European civilization.
A recent study found that Greeks' pride in being Greek surpassed the ethnic satisfaction of every other European nation. Greeks define their natural and ethnic belonging through their culture and tradition. Anyone who has seen the movie “My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding” knows this. Traditions, religion, music, language, food and drinks are the pillars of contemporary Greek culture and lifestyle, making the country an attraction point for visitors from all over the world.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=115027
The Greek society consists of extremely close knit families. There are other important social organizations in Greece that have gradually evolved from the idea of family. These organization works for the social benefit and welfare of the people of Greece. The institution of marriage also plays an important role in Greece Society. Tradition and religious practices forms a core of the social lifestyle of the Greeks. Women in Greece society are given great importance and are provided with good educational facilities.
Family and religion are central to Greek values and behaviour and mutually reinforce each other’s importance. The Orthodox Church advocates the traditional patriarchal family and this is specified in the marriage ceremony. In this ceremony the wife accepts the husband as head of the family.
In this traditional family structure, the husband/father is the main authority figure and source of discipline. The institution of marriage also plays an important role in society. The word family in Greece refers to a particular social group whose members are related by blood or marriage at different levels or in different forms or combinations. The wife/mother is the focus of the home. The term nikokira refers to female family members, especially to the wife and mother who, traditionally, takes responsibility for the housework and child-rearing. The husband and father, or nikokiris, is expected to financially provide for the family and to contribute to its progress.
The conjugal family includes the husband and wife and their children. The extended family includes the conjugal family as well as ascendants of the husband and/or wife. Interestingly, the National Statistical Service of Greece considers all people who live under the same roof to be members of the family, regardless of whether they are related.
Although family life has changed considerably with the transition from the traditional rural-agricultural life into an urban industrial-modern system, to these days women and particularly mothers in Greece play the most important family roles. The man is the family's outside representative, enjoying the social prestige and esteem, but the woman traditionally was and is the organizer of the household, the mediator in family disputes, and the guardian of the family's unity. The family's prestige often rests on the woman's ability to carry out her household duties properly.
Frequent communication and assistance between the two adult generations and children and youth are also very common for Greek families. The family offers both financial and emotional support to its members and family relationships carry over into business with nepotism largely seen as something acceptable. It is very common for relatives to work for the same company because Greeks prefer to do business with those they know and trust. Companies are also hierarchical over the traditional respect for age and position
No comments:
Post a Comment