some reading

For the just-landed and always-landed, I provide a few resources and recent articles that might be surprising on Switzerland. It is not just for expats. Many Swiss have also poke around. How else do Swiss find this forum.

1. Book: David Hampshire. Living and Working in Switzerland. Look for a chapter tucked in the back entitled “the Swiss”

2. Book: Margaret Oertig-Davidson. Beyond Chocolate: Understanding Swiss Culture.
(This book is mainly on Swiss German culture. Those born here who are Swiss French or Italian also say this book helps them understand Sw German culture)

3. The perception of Swiss being "Sonderfall" (special case), which strongly affects Swiss attitudes and has long historical roots.

Switzerland "no longer a special case"
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/Switzerland_no_longer_a_special_case.html?siteSect=105&sid=8909930&cKey=1207062813000&ty=st

4. Doudou Diène, outspoken UN special rapporteur against racism, and approaches to asylum seekers and immigrants here. Prominent Swiss politicians have said Diène does not understand Switzerland, he should just leave. Many hits if you just google Switzerland and “racism” or “xenophobia”

Switzerland Answers Racism Charges
http://www.humanrights-geneva.info/Switzerland-Answers-Racism-Charges,1399

5. Swiss women did not get the vote until 1971 federally, and not until 1990s in one canton (Appenzell canton was forced).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/7/newsid_2738000/2738475.stm

6. Switzerland was the last country in Europe to give maternity benefits – in 2005.

Maternity benefit finally sees light of day
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swissinfo.html?siteSect=107&sid=5907013&cKey=1120117081000

The rest of my message is my opinion. I do appreciate some of what Wendy and AnotherSwiss have tried to describe. I could spend hours writing nice good things about Switzerland and fine personal experiences but that is easy, idiosyncratic. Besides, justlanded want to gain knowledge, learn any surprising country facts and hear of any red flags for concern.

There are many wonderful Swiss people that can hold both insider-outsider perspectives. There is also a large group here of ueber-conservative, image-conscious Swiss who do hold this country back, especially in the Swiss German cantons. It’s reflected in the way they vote. Things do change here and of course some Swiss can question their culture or country values. You can critique aspects of Switzerland and still hold some pride in your country. Isnt that more realistic? The pace of change here can be painfully slow. Yes there are black-and-white patriotic Swiss who will only consider Switzerland a “paradise”. That word is overused here. There is no country that is a paradise.

just one post 20 Aug 2008, 02:03 - Report