VALUES & ATTITUDES
VALUES & ATTITUDES |
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For many years, Spain has been one of the world’s main tourist destinations. In 2014 it ranked third, after USA and France, as a preferred tourist destination. Spain’s Mediterranean climate, famous culture, folklore, and rich gastronomy exert a major influence and highlights the festive and relaxed atmosphere tourists enjoy when visiting the country. The summer heat makes it difficult to work, and the balmy evenings are perfect for outdoor socializing rather than staying inside. As in most countries, the further south you go, the more relaxed the people become. The Spaniards’ character, generally cheerful, friendly, and hospitable, has reinforced their image as intensely hedonistic.
Perhaps these traits stem from fatalism, for they have little or no faith in institutions, or in established authority, and do not believe they can change things. For centuries the Spanish were militant Catholics, defenders of a faith preaching that suffering in this life brings rewards in the next. Suffering is therefore accepted as a part of life, so when the opportunity arises for pleasure they dive in.
An element of risk appeals to them—and they admire the man who faces death in the bullring. The Jesuits, their great teaching order, went where there was the most danger. Heretics were burned at the stake. Their commitment was all or nothing.
Spain lies on the edge of Europe, and has been cut off from it during different periods. Moorish culture left its mark upon the country—especially in the south, where the Moors remained unconquered for over seven hundred years—and it was said that Africa began south of the Pyrenees. The famous Spanish pride, sense of honor, and machismo come from this period. Fighting between various aspirants to the throne kept the Spanish occupied for many years, and the Church’s fear of “heresy” held new ideas at bay. Even in the twentieth century, Franco closed the doors to the outside world for much of his dictatorship. This eventually kept the country distant from involvement in the Second World War. Social values were conservative, promoting social order and the traditional Catholic values—bearing hardship in this life in the expectation of a reward in the next; respect for authority; and acceptance of Church teaching on moral questions. The latter has become less common, especially among young people, who are generally more sceptical about religion and the Catholic Church.
During the sixties hundreds of thousands of people had to leave rural areas to find work in the cities, and many others emigrated to France, Germany, and Switzerland in search of better opportunities. Away from their roots, their ideas began to change. Then tourists started to arrive in increasing numbers, bringing, along with their money, both the materialism and the democratic values of northern Europe. Similar movements are happening today. In 2014 more than a million young students emigrated in an attempt to escape the economic crisis. Still Spain takes its place among the foremost nations of the world and its process of change and development is ongoing.
In Spain the family is all-important, and family ties are very strong. The elderly are respected, and in some cases three generations still live together. This is changing as families get smaller or have to leave their hometowns, but in general family members still live near each other and maintain contact. An extended family of twenty or thirty people will often gather together to celebrate anniversaries, santos (see this page), and other special occasions. Weddings tend to be the largest and most important family event for Spanish people, and can easily gather more than three hundred guests.
Spanish pride is not limited to Spanish culture. It also involves personal success and they happily brag about themselves when they believe they have a reason to do so. Spaniards usually keep their private lives to themselves, and manage their problems within the family, The financial crisis and the need for support has brought people closer together, reminsicent of the years under Franco’s dictatorship.
During the Francoist regime, Spanish law discriminated strongly against married women. They needed their husbands’ approval, known as the permiso marital, for almost all economic activities, including employment, ownership of property, or even travel away from home. Significant reforms of this system were begun shortly before Franco’s death, and have continued since then. For centuries, the Catholic code of moral values had established stringent standards of sexual conduct for women (but not for men); restricted their opportunities for careers, but honored their role as wives and, most important, mothers; and prohibited divorce, contraception, and abortion, but permitted prostitution.
After the return of democracy in 1975, the change in the status of women was dramatic. The permiso marital was abolished, and the sale of contraceptives and divorce were legalized in 1978 and 1981. In that last year the parts of the civil code that dealt with family finances were also reformed. Abortion, until 2010, only allowed in special cases such as rape, malformed fetus, or if it posed a risk to the mother’s life, became legal when the “Ley Orgánica 2/2010” entered into force in July of that year. In 2014 the government adopted some modifications after failing in its attempt to abolish it.
By 1984, 33 percent of adult women had entered the workforce and approximately 46 percent of Spain’s university enrollment was female. Yet despite this seemingly painless emancipation working women are often still expected to run the house and take care of the children. Since 1970 the size of the average family has decreased from 3.8 persons to 1.36, the lowest in the world after Italy (2.1 is considered necessary for the regeneration of the population), and few children are born outside marriage. Spain now has the lowest marriage rate in the European Union. Many lay the blame for this on a more materialistic society, but it is also a result of women having to balance their workload with their duties at home. Usually the younger generations are not expected to contribute financially to the family economy, but to save for their own future, although this has changed significantly since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008.
In one thing, however, Spanish women have always been liberated: their name. All Spaniards have two surnames (from both father and mother), so when Pilar Pujol Fernández marries Jaime Iglesias González, she will not, officially, change her name—although she may be known as la señora de González. On legal documents she will sign her maiden name. Their son, Pepe, will take the first surnames of his father and of his mother, and will be known as Pepe Iglesias Pujol.
Children are an integral part of society and a source of joy. Discipline is important, but in recent years issues related to the so-called “culture of effort” have been hotly debated amongst parents and educators. Of all European students the Spanish dedicate the most hours to homework, yet it has been estimated that their effort does not translate into high academic results when compared with the results of other European countries.
In the past tertiary students used to have to study at local universities, whereas today they are more open to traveling abroad and attending foreign institutions. Spain sends and receives the most Erasmus students.
The old values are being questioned: girls have more options when they leave school, fewer people are getting married, and divorce is now available. People are beginning to accept the need for residential homes to care for the sick and the elderly, but still find it difficult to accept help from outside the family. The role of the Spanish family will continue to adapt to circumstances.
Spain is known as one of the friendliest places to visit in Europe. You will be welcomed everywhere, and invited to join in. However, your new Spanish friends probably extend this welcome to all newcomers, but this will not necessarily lead to a deep friendship. The Spaniards have many acquaintances, or as they say “friends to hang out with,” but not always so many good friends. Accept that, and enjoy yourself.
The Spanish love talking, and will never miss a chance for conversation. Their enthusiasm can be loud and emotional. They are usually expressive, also when it comes to physical touch. Other than their family, close friends mean a great deal to Spaniards. If you do become really friendly with them you will be considered one of the family. “Mi casa es tu casa” (“My house is your house”) means just that.
You Mustn’t Be Alone!
Sara went to her friend’s wedding in a small town near Seville. The wedding was at the beginning of Semana Santa (Holy Week), a time of great celebrations in that region. During the meal she was asked where she would be spending the holiday. When she said she would be going back to her apartment alone they were aghast, and she ended up spending the week at the home of one of the guests she had only just met. She was taken to all the local events, and even became an honorary member of one of the local “brotherhoods.”
The Spaniards are proud of their region, and of their lifestyle in general, but they are also very critical and will quickly point out the negative side of things. Do not join in. If there is something that can offend Spanish people, it is being critical of a matter of national concern. Especially if they consider you not sufficiently informed. They are not inviting comments from you, and any negative attitude on your part could be taken personally. Ironically, the pride and self-confidence Spaniards transmit does not often correspond to the image they have of themselves. Although any self doubt is quickly forgotten when La Roja (the national football team known as ‘the red one’) wins a match.
Family pride and honor have always been very important, and an unfaithful wife or pregnant unmarried daughter would lead to shame for the whole family. The word macho means male (of any species), and machismo describes a certain type of behavior, especially toward women. Under the previous regime the man was the breadwinner and the one who llevaba los pantalones (wore the trousers) However, as women’s role in society is changing, so are men’s attitudes. Women’s opinions in politics and society are equally respected. Nevertheless, many women still suffer from professional inequality and receive lower salaries than their male counterparts.
In the seventeenth century the “picaresque” novel appeared. It described an anti-hero, or rogue (el pícaro) trying to beat the system in a harsh world in any way he could. All Spaniards can identify with him. The difference between rich and poor has been maintained by those who govern, so the Spanish look upon the government and the civil service as the enemy. Nearly forty years under a dictatorship probably did not help. Taxes are levied for the benefit not of the country, but of the government, and are assumed to be lining someone’s pocket. There are many proverbs in Spanish that convey this idea, such as “Quien hizo la ley, hizo la trampa.” (“Whoever made the law made the loophole.”) There have been countless cases against corrupt politicians who have misused their public position. It is almost expected. So the citizen bends rules and tries his or her luck. Being found out is the only crime here.
The Spanish civil service follows an old-fashioned and slow system. Offices are usually open to the public in the mornings only (as are most banks, although this has started to change), and not always daily. Despite long lines the staff (funcionarios) do not easily forgo their breakfast or almuerzo (a snack between 10:00 a.m. and 12 noon). You may be sent from one office to another, told to bring four photocopies today, and five tomorrow. However, Spain has become more efficient since its entry into the European Community.
Studying the Paperwork
Two students arrived in Madrid one weekend, having won a scholarship to study in Spain. They had been told to go to a particular office to arrange to receive their scholarship money. They went there on the Monday morning, to be told after a long wait that they would have to collect various documents from a different office. The other office opened only on Monday and Wednesday mornings. It was closed by the time they got there, so they had to stay two extra days in Madrid—just to get a few papers stamped.
The Gestor Administrativo
If you have to deal with officialdom, always take plenty of photocopies, photo ID, and a long book so that you have something to do while waiting in the interminable lines. You will be better treated if you can speak the language, or have a translator. Best of all, leave it in the hands of a gestor administrativo (the administration manager). This is a person who has been trained to advise you on the necessary papers for any transactions with the government. His job is to deal with all this time-consuming paperwork. For instance, to get a driver’s license renewed involves going to several offices, waiting in each, and losing a whole morning, at least. Most people will give the necessary documentation to their gestor, who will do it for them for a fee.
The Spanish have very little civic or public spirit, as you can judge from the litter they throw around. They generally take very personally the duty of furthering themselves, or their own families and closest circle, and their priority will not easily be benefiting their local community.
Many are often suspicious of people, expecting an ulterior motive of personal gain. Ian Gibson, who has lived in Spain since 1978, also adds in his book Fire in the Blood, “Protest of any kind was futile as well as dangerous in Franco’s Spain, and the result is that Spaniards today are still not as energetic as they should be in standing up against petty officialdom.” They became fatalistic, and did not bother to question things. The individual does not generally put himself out for the common good.
However, the public conscience is being awakened. Some examples of this change are manifest in the widespread sense of citizens’ solidarity for those suffering as a result of the financial crisis. There are massive marches supporting the victims of the terrorist attacks, and the high rate of organ donations has positioned Spain as the world leader in this area.
The Spaniards consider themselves tolerant. Friends will voice totally different political opinions, and this leads to heated arguments but does not affect their friendship. After Franco’s death the transition to political pluralism came about with very little violence or vengeance. The Spaniards seem to have buried the past for the good of the present and future, but perhaps this is because the wounds are still raw. (Recently there have been more appeals to investigate particular cases from the Civil War and dictatorship.)
Once state censorship was relaxed on magazines and films in 1976 and in 1978, the market for pornography flourished. In a country where Playboy had been outlawed until 1976, this and other foreign “adult” magazines were soon considered tame, and were outsold by Spanish publications. Throughout Spain’s large cities, uncensored sex films are readily available in government-licensed “X” cinemas, and prostitutes and brothels freely advertise their services in even the most serious press.
On television, many advertisements are blatantly sexual, and films are not edited even when they are shown during the day. A high level of violence is also tolerated. The television news will carry explicit coverage of death and injury at any time of day. In a country where so many things were banned, it now seems that anything goes.
The Spanish are usually kind and courteous to the foreigners they meet, but perhaps this is because these foreigners are usually European tourists, who come to spend money in Spain. People of a different color are not so easily accepted. There is also long-standing prejudice and discrimination against the gypsies, who are generally considered to be lawbreakers. While many of them have become part of Spanish society, others continue to lead their traditional nomadic way of life. Gypsies were at one time most numerous in southern Spain, where the flamenco music and dance that they brought with them took root. Large communities now exist in Madrid and Barcelona as well.
Catholicism was the state religion from the Civil War until the Constitution of 1978. Now Spain has no official religion, but the Roman Catholic Church continues to receive financial support from the state. The vast majority of the population is Roman Catholic. Yet, by the 1980s only about 25 percent of Spaniards regularly attended church on Sundays. For the others religion plays little part in life beyond the formal occasions of going to Church to be baptized, married (often to please older relatives), and buried. However, almost all their customs and traditions have religious roots.
Those who follow other major religions are non-Catholic Christians, a rapidly growing Muslim population (as the number of immigrants increases), and some Jews.
The Spanish are confident, open individuals with a zest for life, and for living every moment, that is contagious. If they invite you somewhere it is because they really want you to come. They do not want you to go home because you are all having such a good time. Who cares about tomorrow? Now is important. While there is a good time to be had, no one will leave quickly. People meet between 10:00 and 11.30 p.m. for dinner, which is followed by relaxed and fun conversation, coffee and some alcoholic drinks. This is known as la sobremesa. During the weekend, night stretches into morning, and you have some breakfast before you go home! You need stamina here, especially if it is fiesta time. If there is time, they will snatch a brief siesta to prepare themselves for the next night. Partying in Andalusia also requires some training. It never feels like the right time to have a last drink. Instead, someone will suggest la penúltima, the last but one, because nobody wants to refer to the end of the evening.
This exuberance results in a lot of noise. In 1990 44 percent of Madrid’s streets were found to have continuous noise above the rate considered tolerable by the World Health Organization. Mopeds roar around, and horns are honked all the time. In bars there may be several loud conversations going on amid the sound of slot machines and the ever-popular television in the corner.
The Spanish people tend to shout. Everyone wants his or her opinion to be heard, and Spanish is a harsh-sounding language. In The Spanish Temper Victor Pritchett comments “Castilian (Spanish) is above all a language which suggests masculinity, or at any rate it is more suited to the male voice than to the feminine voice which, in Spain, shocks one by its lack of melody.”
If you want to try out your Spanish, don’t speak quietly, or you may not even be heard. Pope John Paul visited Spain in 1983 and had to say “El Papa también quiere hablar” (“The Pope would like to speak too”), to try and silence the large crowd that had gathered. Spaniards do not seem to be able to stop talking for long. It seems that whatever goes through their mind comes out of their mouths. There is no quiet time here, and Spaniards feel uneasy with silence.
They Can’t Keep Quiet!
At the theater one evening, a visitor from Andalusia could take the suspense no longer, and shouted an urgent warning to one of the actors onstage, who was being stalked!
The Spanish people can be quite formal until they are introduced. After that, the rules are relaxed. Once you are considered a friend, you will be treated in a warm and familiar way, and polite formulas will not be necessary. As is the case in many other countries, you will find that the manners of the older generation are usually more formal, and a certain distance should be maintained. Always, when in doubt, err on the side of good manners.
Women greet each other and men with a kiss on both cheeks, or sometimes on one when the person is a very close relative or friend. Men shake hands, and they hug close friends, loudly slapping each other on the back at the same time. Spaniards are generally very tactile people. They will often touch your arm to emphasize a point or a joke.
At times, however, they may to outsiders seem discourteous, or even rude. “Please” and “thank you,” considered normal among English-speaking people, and especially among the British, are thought to be excessive and unnecessary among family and close friends, or in everyday exchanges in shops or restaurants. The Spanish language is quite direct. Polite forms and conditional expressions are not often used. In a bar, for example, Spaniards will not say “Could I have coffee please?” but “Pónme un café, por favor” (“Give me a coffee, please”) or “Me pones un café?” (“Would you give me a coffee?), in which “please” is not even needed.
Not only the Spanish language but also the people can be very direct once they get to know you. If you are not looking your best today, they will tell you so, not with an offensive intention but with the aim of finding out about the reason or pointing out that you should take care.
This directness has its brighter side. The Spanish are the masters of piropos (compliments)—to their friends and to the passer-by. In the market, many vendors refer to or address women as Princesa (Princess) and Reina (Queen), and on the street Spanish men are not shy at showing their appreciation of the female form. A cheerful “Hola, guapa!” (“Hello, gorgeous!”) is often to be heard and does not necessarily imply any sign of attraction. Some people like it, others not so much. If the latter is your case, try not to be annoyed. If you ignore the comment, that is as far as it goes. Even better, accept the compliment with a smile, and go on your way.