The Eric Prydz concert was a fail. However, it gave me a lot of time to sit for awhile and people watch, which is always fun. I have learned one thing about the culture here that differs from the US and that is, here in Copenhagen, men dance with men. At least at the Eric Prydz concert this is true. It seems like in the Danish culture, sexuality is just an open concept. Like I said in a previous bog, I was shocked how many children there were at the "I Love You" AROS museum during my study tour. I think that I have a really open relationship with both of my parents, but with that being said, I also think that the concept of sex, passion, and love is right out in the open. Every day I am amazed at how much public affection is displayed. I literally see at least 3 couples making out on every outing. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing in my opinion. Our nursing class had an interesting lecturer come in that is a primary health nurse. She discussed a lot with us both the statistical information and cultural opinions of sexuality in all senses of the word. The class took a quiz that asked what we thought the average age of sexual debut (first time participating in intercourse) is in DK. I wasn't surprised when the answer was 16 and to be honest, I believe that it could be younger in the United States. When asked to answer what indicates most young people as the cause of their sexual debut, the answer was "I wanted to do it." I would have figured that the answer would have been my friends had done it or I was "in love." An interesting question in the quiz asked what do young people want to learn more about in sexual education classes? The correct answer was that young people want to find "other ways of having sex." The answer shocked me actually. Often when I think I have to put myself back into the mind set of when I was 15 or 16 and I have to say that when I was in my sex ed classes, I never thought about this. I also would be bold enough to say that I do not think the majority of US kids think about sex similarly to American teenagers. A major problem with the mindset of younger and younger kids in DK might contribute to the high exposure to pornography. When asked in the quiz, at what age do young people averagely watch pornography for the first time, the answer was 12-14 years old. This seems really young to me. 99% of boys aged 14-18 years watch pornography and 86 % of females aged 14-18 do. When our class discussed why we think this is, it amazed me to hear one of the Danish girls say that pornography is so easily accessible in Denmark. it can be found on public television and in stores. Also, it is common for girls to talk to their parents about oral contraception, where in the US I think this topic is more hush hush and often leads girls to use resources such as plan parenthood and other free clinics. The four Hong Kong students in our nursing class gave their perspective and said that sex is not talked about at all in HK. The government has tight control over controlling the population with the "one child" law. This makes getting pregnant a huge deal and therefore it can be seen as a disgrace to get pregnant. If a girl goes to the hospital that is under age (I believe it is 16 in HK) and it is found out that she is pregnant, the government will track down the male and arrest him. Our discussion almost led me to believe that Denmark is the most open minded in regards to sexuality, then the US, followed by Hong Kong.
This got me thinking about how these differences could affect sexuality and possibly pregnancy in both Denmark and the US. I think that there are definite positives in having a more open culture about sexuality in DK. For example, I think that it is much more safe for a young girl to feel comfortable going to her parents and asking if she can start taking birth control rather than in the US where the topic of sex is so sensitive and girls might unsafely participate in sex or start taking a medication that can be harmful, without a parent knowing. Also, I think that with a more open culture as in DK, the "debut" age for sexual intercourse is higher than in countries like Hong Kong and the US. Often times, I think that when kids are curious about something and they don't get answers, they'll tend to explore on their own, as in the US.
On the other hand, I do think that the open policy on sexuality in Denmark is harmful to younger children especially. The accessibility to pornography is really putting an interesting spin on sexual education and nursing in DK. For example, kids have access to porn and are curious, so they watch it. As the lecturer that came explained to all of us, this makes it hard for a parent or an educator to teach a child that pornography is not what sex is and that safe sex, if ready to participate, is really what should be the concern. Our lecturer explained that pregnancy rate is increasing in young girls, because in her opinion, kids want to experiment with what they see and have not received the proper education on sexuality. This is also extremely difficult for DK because abortion is legal and also easily accessible, "free" of charge.
More and more I see the benefits to socialized medicince, but I am 100% convinced that there will never be one system that works the best because it's all about balance. When one thing is granted, something must also be pulled from some where else. After being here for 3 weeks, I can also say that I see very big issues with social structure in Denmark that I will touch on at another time.
On Saturday morning I went to the Ballet with Emily and Tayler. We woke up early to enjoy the sun and walk to get coffee before heading to the harbor for our ferry ride. The ballet was located in the new opera house, which was stunning. The panoramic view of the water was completely breath taking. The performers did such a great job and I was completely numb just sitting and watching the flow of the dancers bodies. I would have to say that the second act was my favorite. The music was more upbeat and the choreography strayed from traditional ballet. If I remember correctly, the choreographer was trying to depict spiders, which I thought was pretty neat. My thought that Danish people love taking breaks was reconfirmed when between every single act, there was at least a 5-10 minute coffee/bathroom break. I think that break idea is something the US definitely needs to adapt:) After the ballet, we walked around a little flea market that was in the square on our way back and Emily and Tayler bought a little thing each. I was so happy that I got myself out of bed to enjoy the sunshine in the morning, even though the night before was a late one and unsuccessful.
Later that night, a few of the nursing students from our class met up to eat at the most American Restaurant, The Hard Rock Cafe. The food was so so and the service was really slow, but I realized that in the Danish culture, people don't just eat, pay, and go. It is much more of a social gathering. While I do think that food is seen as a social get together in the US, I also see Americans eating their food like it's going to run away and then sitting for an hour or so and talking. In the Danish culture, as the Danish students have taught us, it is much more customary to cut a piece or two of food, take a bite, and then rest the fork/knife on the table to drink and talk with your company. This often leads to a long discussion followed by small bikes and slower eating. I have to say, I really enjoy my food and taste it so much more this way. While over all I think that I paid way too much for an okay meal, I enjoyed sitting and talking with some of my new friends. It's all in the environment and the experience here in Denmark!
Hej:)
No comments:
Post a Comment