Cultural Assessment - Sweeden

Culture is a dynamic structure of behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, habits, beliefs, customs, languages, rituals, ceremonies, and practices that are unique to a particular group of people. I see great value in learning about different cultures and about cultural diversity, including a broader perspective of others, enhanced problem-solving ability and creativity, and potential improved productivity in my future workplaces. For this assignment, I have chosen to do a cultural assessment of the Swedish Culture. Doing so has broadened my understanding of the Sweden’s cultural perspectives and will help in bridging cultural gaps with future Swedish clients. I hope this will help me become a more culturally competent nurse and help me in providing optimal, global healthcare in a society which is growing more and more culturally/ethnically diverse. I know first-hand that variation does occur within each cultural group, and there is a tendency to assume that all members of an identified group are the same. Sweden, a country that once reflected only a single or perhaps a few ethnic groups now comprises more than 100 different ethnic groups so for the purposes of this paper, I will write about the Swedish culture as a whole.
Sweden is a country on the Scandinavian peninsula in Northern Europe, with it’s capital being Stockholm. It is fourth in size among the European counties, with about 15% of its total area situated north of the Arctic Circle. You would think that the weather in Sweden would be colder year long due to it’s longitude but the average Stockholm’s average temperature is 20-65 degrees Fahrenheit year round.
Sweden has a total population of about 9.4 million people as of 2009 with the majority of residents living in urban areas. Sweden’s capital city, Stockholm, had a population of 1,697,000 in 2005. From 1865 to 1930, nearly 1,400,000 Swedes, emigrated; over 80% went to the United States, and about 15% to other close by countries. This heavy migration