Spain Culture Tips
+ Although Castellano, the regional dialect of the provinces of Madrid and Castile-La Mancha, serves as the national language, most regions have their own dialects, e.g. Catalan in Catalonia (an area near France surrounding Barcelona). These vary in prevalence, so it is good to investigate the importance of speaking a regional dialect before arriving.
+ Regionalism is also maintained through cultural policies established by regional communities to strengthen local language, tradition, literature, and art. Many Spaniards have a strong allegiance to their region, so you would be well-served to learn about the areas in which you are doing business.
+ When conversing, interrupting someone is common and not meant as an insult. Rather, it demonstrates that the person is engaged in the conversation.
+ Spaniards often give each other unsolicited advice. Do not interpret this as an offense, but as a genuine interest in the well-being of others.
+ El Pais Vasco, or Basque Country, is one of Spain’s autonomous regions. The separatist group known as ETA is still active, as the region has historically seen itself as a sovereign nation, but persists as a part of the greater Spanish state. Culture here is distinct, as is their language, which is a complete isolate, carrying no known relation to any other language in the world.
+ As a rule, Spaniards do not say “please” or “thank you” as frequently as in other cultures. When they ask for something they may sound harsh, saying “give me” instead of “I would like.” This is not rudeness on their part, but the way language is executed.
+ Machismo, a word for male dominance, may have been one of Spain’s well known characteristics in the past, but today Spain is far more egalitarian, as the country’s birth rate is one of the lowest in Europe and women are present at university and work.
- taken from RW3′s CultureWizard™ Country Profiles
