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jaargang 43, 12 oktober 2000 English page

“Our Way is Normal and Natural” “Some average Dutch behaviour patterns are quite different from those anywhere else in the world”, cultural anthropologist Marilyn Warman observed during a Studium Generale lecture last week. The Blauwe Zaal had filled with foreign staff and students eager for an explanation of the ‘Peculiarities of the Dutch’, and with their Dutch colleagues, who were eager to hear how ‘peculiar’ they were. Diary Marilyn Warman has lived in the Netherlands for 30 years and now works for Nuffic in The Hague. Her lecture contained some surprising and insightful comments, even for those foreigners who have lived in the Netherlands for years. About the Dutch way of making appointments for everything, for example. Warman says that this is nicely symbolised by the ‘agenda’ or pocket diary people in the Netherlands above the age of 12 uses to organise every aspect of their lives. “Foreigners who deal with time in a different way complain that schedules take priority over people in this country,” said Warman. “The way buses will drive off just as you come running up can be irritating. Don’t take this personally, the bus driver does this to everyone. If he doesn’t, he’ll never keep to his schedule, and buses won’t run on time.” “And when you do have an appointment with someone, don’t forget to ask how much time you have. Then you’ll know how quickly you should get to the point. Otherwise they might have to leave before you’re finished. This is the exact same mechanism as the bus driving off just as you arrive.” This example gets laughs from some of the French listeners. Warman is careful to point out that there is no average Dutchman. Everyone is different and observations on behaviour are always relative. “But we all tend to think our own way of doing things is human nature ­ is normal and natural… How we view the Dutch depends very much on where we’re from. Someone for France might say that the average Dutch person is quick to use first names and act familiar, whereas a Brazilian might say about the very same Dutch person that they remain cool and distant for a long time with new people.” Friction The cultural anthropologist focuses on four main areas to show how friction between Dutch and foreigners easily occurs: food, time, egalitarian attitudes symbolised by the bicycle and the relative lack of competition in society. About food: “Food is simply not an issue and it’s seldom used as a way to express generosity or respect for a guest, or anything else for that matter.” Foreigners new to the Netherlands have sometimes gone hungry when they were invited to a friend’s house at, say, 8.30 in the evening. In the Netherlands this is traditionally the time to drink coffee and eat two biscuits. A dinner invitation is usually given quite clearly and for earlier in the day. And lunch is eaten quickly and often consists of practical bread roles and not much else. Regular Guy According to Marilyn Warman, the bicycle symbolises the egalitarian ideal in Dutch society. Remember the time when leaders of European union countries were given a bicycle during a summit meeting in Amsterdam? “It was interesting to see who took the bait. Almost no one from southern Europe got on a bike; it would have been beneath their dignity and people back home would have criticised them for acting silly. Only the other Northerners were game. Tony Blair, like the Dutch and Scandinavian head of government, scored points with his voters back home by showing he’s a regular guy.” The Dutch egalitarian ideal can be puzzling for people from other countries, Warman explained. “You can’t judge a person’s status from the way they look in this country, but that doesn’t mean status differences don’t exist. The professor might say: ‘Call me Jaap and drop in at my office any time you want,’ but in fact you’d be wise to avoid calling him anything at all, and to make an appointment with his secretary if you want to talk to him.” Absolute Grading Some of Warman’s comments on a perceived lack of competition in Dutch society met some opposition during Q&A, but were hard to refute. “In the Netherlands someone who tries too hard is called a ‘streber’ (‘striver’), a negative term… The modest person who functions well in a team is valued more than the genius who’s full of good ideas.” “There is a deeply rooted feeling here that to rank students and to then select the best, would be to violate the egalitarian ideal. ‘Motivation also matters’, they’ll say. As a student in a competitive culture you always know where you rank in class. Grades are usually given relative to each other. So a student always has one eye on the other students, because to pass, you have to be better than at least half of them. If you’re a foreign student it helps to know that grading here is usually absolute. You’ll know not to expect praise and you won’t feel so bad when you don’t get so many words of encouragement. You’ll also know not to get upset if you get a six or a seven for a paper you’re sure deserves a nine… But the student who is expected to bring home top marks ­ and who maybe will bring shame not only on himself but also on his whole family if he merely squeaks by ­ will be upset.”

Pine Forest in Heart of University De Wielen, in the centre of campus, is to become an extended green zone planted with pine trees. The tree plan was designed by landscape architect Richard Koek. De Wielen is the central area of the ‘core university’, the part of campus where all departments will be housed in future. Koek, from CH & Partners in The Hague, wants to fill the sixty meter wide zone with six rows of pines. The trees will be planted to form diagonal lines. A twelve meter wide asphalt path will be laid through the trees. The path will be used for walking, biking or skating. Long, comfortable benches and art works will be placed on the stretch of asphalt. There is also room in the plan for lawns. Dr.ir. Karin Overdijk, head of the Real Estate staff department, emphasizes that Koek’s plan will not be implemented with no questions asked. “We’re still talking to the architect about the details of the plan,” she says. Some nine million guilders has been reserved for the refurbishing of ‘De Wielen’. First Users in Main Building The first inhabitants have moved into the renovated parts of the main building (Hoofdgebouw) on floors ­1, 0 and 1. Student mediation agency Integrand was one of the first to move into its new housing on floor 0. Satisfaction was the foremost feeling at Integrand. “Our space is not quite ready, but we thought it would be an advantage to be one of the first to move in,” says Mark Otten, one of Integrand’s three pr people. “The students can see us installed there first. The location is a great improvement for us. Previously, we were in the Alpha pavilion, near to the Multi Media pavilion. The main building is perfect, you can’t get more central. We can already tell the difference in the number of students who just walk in.” The bank, the hairdresser, Euflex, the reductiebureau and other student organisations such as the International Student Network will also move in soon. The Student Service Centrum (STU) is moving to floor 0 and 1 at the end of this month and the beginning of next month.

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