Culture & Personality

Hi, it’s me again from Dublin! Personality of course is different with every person and also very different with each culture which is so interesting. So I am going to write about the personalities in Ireland, the behaviors of the Irish, marriage and personalities of the Irish men, and finally personality relating to work.

                As I stated, personalities differ with every culture and also with every person. Here in Ireland, there are some behaviors that contribute to our personalities and they will help you get a sense of how us Irish people are. First and foremost, my parents instilled in me how important it is to understand the differences in onions and behaviors of other people and of course of myself (Safari, 2013).  In Ireland, we of course are nice, modest people. I may be bias since I have lived her my whole life but I think we are very respectful people (Kwintessential, 2013). However, in our society, my parents have taught me that arrogance, and bragging are not behaviors that I should portray. I think I and almost all other Irish people agree that we do not appreciate, or like people that brag, are loud in public, rude, showing off their wealth, or dressing provocatively (Safari, 2013). My parents have taught me to be respectful, and portraying any of these behaviors would be going against that. Along with being respectful, I have been brought in a household and society where loyalty is very important. Loyalty in the Irish culture, is considered a necessary trait that will lead to a good family, a good society but loyalty has to come from the heart or yourself and cannot be enforced by authority (TheCelt, 2013).  I think this is a very important aspect of our personality in Ireland.

                Another aspect of our Irish culture is our humor. We like to be funny and we even have our own special name for our humor and that is the craic (Kwintessential, 2013). This humor might surprise some people, but it is all in good fun and not personal at all. As I grew up, my father and mother always teased each other and say funny insults which are called slaggings. In our culture, it is okay to tease and joke around with someone you are close with and like I stated it is not personal (Kwintessential, 2013). Also there is a very popular song sang in Ireland, and it is personally one of my favorites called The Scotsman, which it makes jokes about Irish people and this is another way we like to show our humor. We also do it in our storytelling. I can remember my parents always telling me stories before my bedtime and they were always in good humor (Kwintessential, 2013).

                In my household, my parents have taught me freedom and equality and I feel that as I have gotten older, Irish people cherish these two things and so not like them to be altered with. This goes to explain the loyalty and respect we portray in our personalities. We have a deep understanding of no double standards in life (TheCelt, 2013).

                The next part I am going to write about is about marriage and how my personality and a man’s personality matter in this aspect. Since I am a girl, marriage is of course an important aspect of my life but there are certain qualities I am looking for in a good Irish man. It’s hard to find a good man in Dublin, because many Irish men have great personalities but also some negative personality characteristics. For example, the men here have very good coping strategies and it is very common for an Irish man to not show his emotions (Kelly, 2011). These two behaviors I feel are very important for my future husband to have. Along with these two factors, men in Ireland have been described as neurotic, having low self-esteem, and they are dependent. This is another reason why it is hard to find a good husband in Ireland, because I want someone I can depend on, that will boost my self-esteem and also be there for me whenever (Francis, 2001).

                Also, when dealing with marriage, due to our personalities, we have a different view on marriage than other cultures. My mom and dad, have told me their love story, and I have realized that in our culture there is a tendency to remain single for a while, partake in delayed marriages or not get married at all (Schellenberg, 1991). It is our belief that it is okay to remain single until usual child bearing years. Also in Ireland, and what my parents dealt with was delayed marriage. This happened because it is our responsibility to focus on avoidance of sexual relationships, high respect for our family and family values, and when we are absolutely ready, be loyal to our vows (Schellenberg, 1991).

                The last point I am going to talk about that refers to our personality is our thoughts and behaviors related to work. In our society, work is very important. My parents both have very well paying jobs, and they have taught me that I will do the same when I grow up. When it comes to work, my parents have taught me to have an internal locus of control over my business or job. This means that I control my actions and my life and I need to put forth effort and all of my ability. Also when it comes to my personality about work, I will be very determined, chase my goals, and be reliable (Cromie, 1983).

                Well that’s my post about personality. I hope you enjoyed! Until next time, bye!!

Cromie, S. Johns, S. (1983). Irish Entrepreneurs: Some Personal Characteristics. JSTOR, Volume 4.

                Pp. 317-324.

Francis, L. Jones, S. Jackson, C. Robbins, M. (2001). The Feminine Personality Profile of Male

                Anglican Clergy in Britain and Ireland: A Study Employing the Eyesnck Personality

                Profiler. JSTOR, Volume 43. pp. 14-23.

Kelly, Antoinette. (February 20, 2011). IrishCentral. The Pros and Cons of Marrying an Irishman.

                3/19/2014, from http://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/the-pro-and-cons-of-marrying

                an-irishman-116558643-237370611.html.

Kwintessential. (2013). Kwintessential. Ireland- Language, Culture, Customs, and Etiquette.

                3/19/2014, from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global

                etiquette/ireland.html.

Safari the Globe. (Nov, 2013) Safari the Globe. Irish Culture: Way of Life, Ethnicity, Language,

                Religion, Dress, Behavior, & Identity. 3/19/2014, from

                http://www.safaritheglobe.com/culture_ireland.aspx.

Schellenberg, J. (1991). Patterns of Delayed Marriage: How Special are the Irish? Taylor &

                Francis, Ltd.: JSTOR. Volume 24. Pp. 1-11.

TheCelt. (August 8, 2013). HubPages. The General Characteristics of Celtic-Irish Tradition—A

                Summary and Characterization. 3/19/2014, from http://thecelt.hubpages.com/hub/The-            General-Characteristics-of-Celtic-Irish-Tradition-A-Summary-and-Characterization.

Culture & Gender

Hi, it’s me again! After thinking about what I wrote last time, I am even more excited to write this blog this time about the culture and gender here in Ireland. In this blog, I will be telling you all about the differences in the workforce based on gender, the common greetings between genders, rights of women in Ireland, and also health in Ireland between the gender roles.

                The workforce in Ireland, has progressed over the last 30-40 years. In the past, most higher, wage-labor jobs were held by males however women have increasingly entered the workforce. Like I stated in my last blog, my mom is a nurse at the local clinic which is a very good paying job for women in Ireland. Women have been able to get more jobs in tourism, sales, medicine, and financial services in Ireland. (Clancy,1993-1998) Even though women have been able to get jobs over the past few years it is still not as equal as men. Women are frequently found in lower paid, part time, or “lower skilled” occupations than men. (CountryInsights, 2009) I know that this is what I have to look forward to after college and some people may think it is unfair and unjust but I just tell myself it could always be worse. Also I believe our country has come a long way with gender roles in the workforce. This has been proven because in the last 15 years, there have been 2 women as President in Ireland. (CountryInsights, 2009) I think this is very exciting not only for women but for our whole country.

                Common greetings in Ireland differ than other places in the world. For example, here in Ireland it is very common for us to say Mr. or Ms. when we meet someone for the first time. This is out of respect for the person. Also we do not give a kiss on the cheek like other countries may do. The people of Ireland including myself, we like our personal space, especially when meeting someone for the first time. Also the Irish culture is a macho culture so touching between men is very rare and in a public workplace, men never touch women. This is out of respect for the person. (CountryInsights, 2009) Some cultures may find this different and strange, but this is how we do it here and I think it is perfectly fine. When I greet my friends, I will greet them with a hug but that is because I know them. It would be very weird for me to greet someone I do not know with a hug or a kiss but that is just how the Irish culture is.

                As I stated before, women rights in the workforce and life in Ireland are still not completely equal to men, but they have came a long way. Due to the society being heavily influenced by Catholicism, the traditional role of mother and wife has been put in the Constitution. Women in Ireland were obliges to resign from the civil service upon marriage but since then, better education, declining fertility rates and the opportunity to earn higher wages have increased. However, married women in Ireland have a lower participation rate in society compared to other countries. There is a lack of childcare, and tax policies for these women but these are getting worked on and hopefully some progress will show soon. (CountryInsights, 2009) Along with women’s rights and the gender roles of the women and men of Ireland, health also plays a part in this. In some countries, the rate of good and bad health between men and women is different but in Ireland it is equal. There are no gender differences in good or bad health in Ireland. (Bramba, 39) I think this is interesting because even though women are not exactly equal in Ireland, we do have one thing equal and that is our health.

                Now that I have talked more about women, men in Ireland obviously get the higher paying jobs and have more say in society. Also farming is a very big industry in Ireland, so the seasonal tasks are divided among the males according to age and gender. Most of the big public activities in farming, the adult males take care of but the chores and jobs within the house are taken care by the females. It is very common in Ireland that neighbors with help each other with their labor or equipment during the busy agricultural seasons. This is mostly men doing this work and these ties are formed by religion and marriage. Another interesting thing about Ireland is that marriages are seldom arranged and monogamous marriages are the norm (Clancy, 1993-1998). Well that is all for now! I hope you enjoyed and I look forward to my next post!

Bramba, C. Kunst, A. Pope, D. Roskam, A. Scott-Samuel, A. Stanistreet, D. Swami, V. (2009) Gender, health inequalities and welfare state regimes: a cross-national study of 13 European countries. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. JSTOR. Vols 33-64. Pgs. 38-40

Clancy,Patrick. Curtis, Chris. Taylor, Lawrence. Wilson, Thomas. (1993-1998). Countries & Their Cultures. Ireland. http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Ireland.html

CountryInsights.(October 15, 2009). Centre for Intercultural Learning. Cultural Information-Ireland.  http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/ci-ic-eng.asp?iso=ie