Greece is a conservative country?

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cpinatsi

Hello Leonarda.
I think Greek society has a conservatism, but not necessarily a good one. What I mean is we always consider Greek families to have close ties etc., in a good way, and it is true to some extent, but it is not always in a good way. I think Edoardo has a good point, only I must say that he is a little exaggerating, because the cases he comes across are probably the ones reaching a court of justice, whereas many couples or famlilies are happy. However, it is true that the reason families are close together is not always love and respect, but necessity. What I mean is, young people stay with their parents because they can't afford to get a home of their own until their thirties, which gives the parents the possibility to interfere a lot to the life of adult children. Then they interfere in their married life, because young couples can't afford or can't find daycare for their small children, and grandparents take care of them. Then the parents get old, and there is no social care for elderly people, so their children have to look after them. So out of necessity we take care of each other (basically the ones who work take care of the ones who don't work because they are too young, too old or unemployed).

edoardo_visconti

Perhaps I will disappoint you with my point of vew which is based on my long professional experience. Superficially, Greece seems to be a conservative country, attached to religion and traditions (?) , yet, what happens behind the courtains is another issue... Certainly, family as a social institution always exists but the majority of married couples either live their secret lives or they get depressed. What keeps two persons under the same roof? Common financial interests, insecurity, children, even the weak position of greek women to get eliberated from a nasty marriage, as they do not have the means and the support to seek freedom.
On the other hand children are not given any solid and well based principals to enable them to spread out their own wings, but only consumption goods, so that parents can get rid of the task and duty to really face their real psychological needs.
Young people get old with their parents and stay with them untill eventually married, and when so, parents interfeare in all details of their new private (?) life.
Greek women, who are the more (mentally) progressive part of our society, have to tollerate abuse, violence, depression for the sake of their familie's image.
Greek men have to obey their oppressed mother's instructions and will...
The social status of modern Greece, which has been deprived of all the developements and evolutions of western culture because of the priests of all ranks, is still something undefined.
We are conservative as far as one issue only is concerned: politics: Two families get greek votes for over than half a centurie's period of time.....

PinkKitt'n

So is Italy and many other traditional European countries if you ask me.

Eleni H

Well,I agree with Edoardo above.
Whatever he says is correct!And I agree that our society is not conservative.I believe that being families close don't make a society conservative.
I have traveled abroad a lot,specially to northern countries (that the concept of family is not so developped) and believe me you can understand there what does it really means conservative.
And it is not only that!
Every situation has two faces,the good one and the bad one.Whatever Edoardo says is the bad face of that.But there is also the good part of it.I like it very much that my mother or my father call me every day to see if I am ok.Even my very old grandparents call me.And we live very close.It is nice to feel that you have someone to really care for you.
And something else:it is not true that all the young people leave their house when they got married.I know a lot of people who left their parents earlier.The most of my friends live alone!

As it concerns the bad relationships between the married couples,this is not something that happens only in Greece,but everywhere and always.But it depends on the couple.There are also some happy couples you know that care for each other that noone cheats,that none feels depressed.I know some people like this and I feel very happy about them.
I wish that I helped you!
Bye!

Ipek K

Merhaba Maria,

When I was reading your questions and the related answers, I hesitated for a moment. It felt like I'm reading my own people's ideas and point of views.

I'm just wandering; Are you Greek speaking Turks or are we Turkish speaking Greeks? :)

reifguy

i think so also.the greek community have very strong family ties and orientation,,,they r closely bonded,,and they remind me of my own country and our family ties,most europeans r way loose in family ties ,,they disassociate with their kids as soon as they become within legal age,,but the greeks r oriental they have the kids always under their eye,live with family,,,marriage is sacred and many get married within the family relations and traditions ,,and conservative indicates that love is like an umbrella family ,,every member is under it within same shade of love,,,and personally i am conservative in mentality also,,family is the best thing u see every day ,especially their love,,,

Frank B

Leonarda,

Due to my job, I am traveling all year around continuously and I have to say that Greeks are as traditional as the Spaniards and the south Italians, the Maltese and the Portuguese. Not more and no less. In addition, now days I find Athenians not to abide so much to the family rules anymore.

I guess the rest is just perceptions and largely have to do with one's personal environment.

Holland although known as a liberal country is for instance a very conservative society.

Missy

i think so
and this is what i like very much about Greece and Greeks
i think people should respect to family ties because i believe there is nothing like your family in this world.
i wouldn't say that you are conservative about everything.
e.g. I never heard that Greeks are so religious (maybe you are, I don't know) which can also count as conservative

dvatwork

I would say YES, that Greece is a conservative country... Family ties and our customs and traditions are very important to us......but, with each trip to Greece I notice that our patrida is trying to become more and more modern, perhaps it is the influence of Europe, I don't know.......

haroula

yes!very much so!!greeks have strong family ties!and they pass traditions down to each generation.
sometimes this has drawbacks cause you may want to do sth different and you have to think how the whole family will deal with it!

dofaegean

Dear Leonarda,
In my opinion our country is not conservative at all.
Traditional and conservative are two litle different sence.
A tradition is a practice, custom, or culure that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation, originally without the need for a writing system.Tradition is a knowledge system (a means of transferring knowledge). Tradition makes culture and history.
On the other hand conservatism brings me out sth miserable and regressive.
I think, we are traditional as for families ties, the way of life more than some other Europian countries and I like it. But there are many Europians coservative countries except Greece.

Greece is a somewhat conservative country basically in terms of family and women, particularly in areas such as Thessaloniki. Athens is less traditional. I know people in Thessaloniki who still follow the tradition of asking the hand of the daughter to marry to the head of the family. Or the fact that the man is always the head of the family; the boss in his house (although the woman is the neck). But in general terms, Greece is a modern country just as any country in the EU.

slaveof12gods

that is pretty retarded ! I do not think that family values are a Conservative value!!!!!!!!!!! I am sorry but that is some Idiot!

NIKOS THE PRESIDENT OF YAHOO

We are conservative,and we must remain conservative...
We are the influence of Western Civilization,and Europeans have learned so much from us...And actually they don't deserve us...We are too good, too superior, and we don't need Europe...

Have you seen all the problems we have now because of Europe?...Look at this immigration, which caused problems of criminality and unemployment...

Being conservative is a question of survival...

Family,culture,way of life, flag...We are proud, and I refuse to lose my honour...

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