One of the most interesting aspects of my time in Slovakia has been experiencing and learning about a people group totally different from my own. For most of my life I have only truly been familiar with a certain people group, namely Americans from the midwest. One and a half years hardly qualifies me as an expert on the Slovak people group, at the same time I have learned many things. There is always a danger in talking about a group of people from a certain country as there is a tendency to over-generalize millions of people. While there can be no mistake that each individual person is unique and special, there are also personality and character traits which can be traced to a group of people based on their sociocultural experience.

In general, Europeans have known far more strife and adversity over the years compared to Americans. These experiences have had a significant influence in shaping people groups and their mentalities/beliefs. Slovakians are no different. They have endured hundreds of years of tumultuous change including being forced against their will to comply with certain beliefs/lifestyles they neither asked for nor wanted. Two recent examples include: the Hungarians who oppressed the Slovaks only 125 years ago and of course the communists beginning shortly after WWII. The ripple effects of these experiences have had powerful implications right into the present day.

This is a small mountain community known as Cicmany (Cheech-mah-nee). They are best known for these strange markings on the houses and an abundance of interesting history. This community created its own little culture including certain types of food, clothing and religious customs. (now back to the previous thought)
Using these influential historical experiences as a backdrop I want to share some of my own personal thoughts about my new countrymen based on my observations over the past 16 months. To some degree my experience is limited because of the language barrier. As you might imagine, its quite difficult to truly get to know someone you cant even have a basic conversation with. Although it is accurate to say that I do have Slovaks friends who don’t speak any English. They are typically part of a group of people who do speak English and therefore the available translation gives me the opportunity to connect with them. However the reality is that I am mostly in relationship with those who speak some level of English. Most people who have the ability to speak English are college educated people and are situated in the middle to upper middle class of the socioeconomic status. Consequently, my exposure to the people of Slovakia has been somewhat limited thus far.

In past blog entries I have spoken about some of the effects of communism on the people and families here. The main issue seems to center around the challenge of trusting other people in relationships after years not being able to trust anyone. There were secret police everywhere and they coerced or compensated many common citizens to spy on their own friends and family. Even though those days are gone, the apprehension to be open and trusting remains. Therefore it is not uncommon to encounter people who are friendly and cordial in the early stages of a developing relationship and then to experience some sort of resistance from them to going deeper. These are traits which are easily passed to down from the older generation to the younger. My experience is that this phenomenom is slowly fading away as there is a definate openness within the younger generation (people under 25).

I have found most Slovak people to be generally quite pleasant in their demeanor. They tend to be introverted by nature, although some of that it seems is a by product of the communist years. The men tend to be on the passive side and the women a bit more assertive. At least to some degree, being forced into a position of powerlessness (communism) diminishes a person’s inclination to be assertive. As a result it is difficult to know if Slovak men are naturally more passive or if it was bred into them. I get the impression that there is a significant degree of importance given among Slovak people to a good public image. It seems rare to me that people or families give any hint of problems or difficulties outside of the home. My own experience growing up Catholic had this same characteristic which may partly explain the same tendency here as it has traditionally been a society rooted in Catholicism.

4 kids to a bedroom. That was the only way to stay warm at night during the harsh winters in these hills.

My experience with most Slovak people reveals that they generally have very good social skills. By that I mean to say they tend to be very polite and considerate as well as possessing good communication skills (when they choose to engage). Slovaks, I have found, are a patient people (especially compared to Americans) and are very socially minded. They love to gather in groups and celebrate life however it seems to me that recent trends have led to more isolation among people as well as independent attitudes. There is a huge gap between the older and younger generations because of the rapid social changes here in the past 15-20 years. Part of this can be attributed to the influence of west, particularly America, as young people begin to crave and acquire the lifestyles and trends seen in movies, music, clothing and other American industries. The older generation still clings to the heritage and culture of the past. I guess to some degree every society is struggling to maintain some connection to their cultural heritage and the people 40 and older are naturally the ones who make the effort to do so.

New moms got special consideration by having their own bed. The people of this community designed a cozy way for mom and baby to stay in close proximity during the night hours.

I am impressed with the way Slovak children respect their elders. Slovak parents seems to have a quiet way of earning the respect of their children as they tend to be more patient as well as perhaps more lenient with their kids. The kids here seem to be more mature on average than the kids in the states. Slovak kids have more responsibility for themselves and on average handle it quite well. The families here seem to be going through some dramatic changes as the dark cloud of the communist years continue to dissipate and the nation searches again for her true identity in the postmodern world. One of the most significant challenges in this is the seemingly constant metamorphosis toward a society resembling American society. There is a trend toward both parents entering the work place, the goal of course being to bring a financial security and freedom to the family.

The Cicmany community hand made just about everything they needed for daily living including tools, farming equipment, clothing, kitchen tools and utensils and these beautiful embroidered fabics used for many different purposes.

However, as Americans know all too well, there is a price to pay for this type of prosperity, which of course has to do with the health and well being of the family, the back bone of any society. With both parents in the work force the family’s ability to foster togetherness and cohesiveness is undeniably diminished. The children do not receive the love and discipline they need and ultimately end up entering adulthood ill-equipped to be healthy members of society who can make a positive contribution. This is a trend I see unfolding here in Slovakia. Most people, I sense, don’t believe they have any other choice. The argument is the same as that of American families, that there is a certain standard of living which must be achieved for the family to realize their goals.
The argument is more compelling in this part of the world as people’s opportunity to get a college education, find a good paying job and find adequate housing is far below many other nations (and certainly above others).

As I said earlier there are many common human characteristics which can be applied to most people on the planet. One of those characteristics is the desire for climbing up the socioeconomic ladder. Who doesn’t want a home of their own (or a larger home), a new car, a nice vacation, the ability to provide for their family without worry. As the Slovaks begin to experience a surging economy and real prosperity for the first time in decades, the shiny lure of wealth and materialization is beginning to hook many people. Time will tell where these trends will lead for Slovakia.

Over-all, my experience of learning first hand about the Slovak people has been a great experience. Slovaks are wonderful people. I have established friendships here that will last a life time. As I have been blogging all along, I have also learned so much from my Slovak friends, about my lifestyle, my attitudes and my faith. I am so grateful for my relationships here in Slovakia and look forward to the many new friends I will meet as my journey here continues.