Cultural Interview – Lea

I met Lea on the train home from the Reaper-Bahn, on our last night in Hamburg. It started as
we were trying to learn a song for the soccer team of Stuttgart, with some rather inebriated German
men. I sat near Lea, and asked her about the soccer fans, to which she replied, “It’s a football thing, I
think it’s stupid.”. Lea is a Fashion Designer, originally from Hamburg, and travels through Europe for
work showcasing her designs at fashion shows. She is from an upper middle-class family in Hamburg.
She went to a private University for design.

1. Who holds the most “status” in your family? Why?

A: My father holds the most status in my immediate family, as he is the main

bread winner, and provides for our family. In the extended family, we would
consider our grandparents to hold the most status, as they raised our parents
and us, and carry the traditions of our past.

2. How do you define success?

A: I would define success predominantly as being happy in my life and my ability

to express myself through my work. I would also consider financial stability to be
a good indicator of my success. My family was able to provide well for me, and I
would like to do the same for mine.

3. Do you consider your parents to be successful?

A: My father is an Engineer, and my mother is an Architect. My parents have
lived a good life and have provided well for the family, having the ability to send
my sister and I to good schools, to pursue the career of our dreams. I would
consider my parents very successful.

4. How important is education in your family?

A: With my parents both being educated, there was always pressured to go to

university and pursue a professional career. Even though public universities are
paid for by the German government, our parents chose to put us through
university at private institutions. There is great competition in Germany for good
jobs, and we were encouraged to pursue education that would grant us the ability
to work in a professional environment.
5. Is punctuality important to you? Why or why not?

A: Punctuality is incredibly important in Germany. We wouldn’t be considered

such an efficient society if we didn’t value punctuality. It is considered quite
disrespectful to be late.

6. What is the most important meal of the day?

A: Breakfast. I like to start my day with coffee, a cigarette, and some bread with
deli meat and cheese. Maybe a croissant or strudel!

7. Did you ever live with your grandparents or extended family?

A: I lived with my grandparents when I was attending university in Munich. My
grandparents are still quite independent and have quite a nice house on the
outskirts of Munich. We are still not sure whether my grandparents will move in
with my parents once their independence takes a downturn.

8. Do you actively participate in an organized religion?

A: My family is Catholic, however, I do not attend mass regularly anymore. I am

still encouraged to attend Sunday masses when I am with my family and I enjoy
doing so.

9. How important is religion in your family? Why?

A: My parents still attend mass on Sundays, this was passed on through my

grandparents who still value their faith greatly. My grandparents grew up in post
war Germany, and they found the church to be an important part of their lives,
enforcing values of charity and compassion in a nation that was still trying to
rebuild.

10. If religion is important in your family, do you plan to pass this on to your children?
Why or why not?

A: I will have my children baptized, and I would like them to learn about our faith,
because I believe in the values instilled by the church. I would like them to be
educated in the teachings of the church, so that when they are old enough, they
can decide for themselves whether they want to pursue the faith.
11. Are the roles of men and women specifically defined in your family? If so, what
are they?
A: Gender roles are starting to see a decline, certainly in our family. However my
mother works part time, and took care of us when we were younger. I would still
consider my father the main provider for the family, and he still takes care of
typical masculine roles. My father takes care of our vehicle maintenance, and
fixing things around the house, and my mother still does the majority of the
cooking for the family.

12. Define and describe the most important (or most celebrated) holiday of your
culture.

A: Being from a Catholic family, we are certainly predisposed to love the

Christmas season. Family is very important to us, and during the Christmas
season we typically get the family together and celebrate with lots of food and
music. If I could pick a second favourite, it would be Oktoberfest, as I love getting
together with my university classmates and enjoying some good old fashioned
bratwurst and beer!

13. Will you encourage any children you have to speak English?

A: There is a great percentage of the German populace that speaks English. It

seems that English is fast becoming a global language for communication in
business. I find that in my work I am communicating with clients in English a
large percentage of the time. I think it will be important for my children to be
fluent in English however German will most certainly be their first language.

14. How is physical contact viewed in your culture?

A: I appreciate intimacy with my boyfriend, however personal displays of affection

are frowned upon in German society. We are a very private people and I do not
view physical contact to be a private matter. Even in platonic situations, I prefer
to have my space, when out in public.

15. What is considered most disrespectful in your culture?

A: As I said above, Germans are a punctual people. It is greatly disrespectful to

be late for a meeting or for an event with friends. As a private people, we don’t
consider smiling at strangers on the street to be respectful. It is seen as a
disingenuous act.
 16. What is considered most respectful in your culture?
A: Again, to be on time, when it is agreed to meet at a certain time. We are also
an environmentally conscious society, so we appreciate those who do their best
to respect the environment.

17. What would you say is, from your perspective, the most commonly held
misconception about people of your culture?
A: I would say that the world views Germans as an ornery people. We are
certainly focused on efficiency, punctuality, and competency, but I feel that
Germans in general are kind and respectful. Although I understand how outsiders
could misconstrue our behavior for being overly stern or negative.

18. Have you ever experienced racism? In what form?

A: Personally, as a white woman I have not been the victim of racism. However,
there are still fringe groups in Germany that still hold Nazi ideologies in high
regard, and have seen these groups demonstrating in the streets.

19. What can be done about racism and prejudice, in your opinion?

A: I believe education is our best defense against prejudice. Not only is

Education the biggest opponent to ignorance but putting people of all
backgrounds in the same place to learn together, forces them to learn about
each other. I feel that it is hard to be hateful and ignorant to your fellow citizens, if
you are given the chance to get to know them.

20. What is the best thing about living in your country?

A: I love living In a country that is as diverse as Germany. After all the things we
have faced together as a country, we have become a very progressive and
accepting society, and I feel that will bode well for us in the future. I consider
myself a foodie, so not only do we have access to the foods of our German
culture, but we have foods from almost all other cultures, due to the grand
diversity of our country.

Lea is quite a progressive person, but still holds her family’s and her country’s traditions
in high regard. Her appreciation of art and culture is at the forefront of her life, and she
has found a great deal of happiness, living in Hamburg.