What is #SwedenGate?
Best known for being one of the world’s happiest and fairest countries, Sweden ended up in the heart of a hot debate online this week, where users of social media clashed over the Swedish tradition of not serving food to guests, especially children, in certain situations .
Named “SwedenGate”Thousands of users have shared their personal meetings in Swedish households, and some Swedes have defended the practice and explained the logic behind it.
Soon the conversation snowed into something bigger when internet users began to raise questions about imperialism, racism and Sweden’s colonial past.
What prompted the debate?
The controversy began on the Reddit forum r / AskReddit, where a user asked: “What is the strangest thing you had to do at someone else’s home because of their culture / religion?”
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One answer in particular stood out: “I remember going home to my Swedish friend. And while we were playing in his room, his mother shouted that dinner was ready. And check this out. He told me to WAIT for his room while they ate “, wrote one user.
Not here to judge but I do not understand this. How to eat without inviting your friend? pic.twitter.com/bFEgoLiuDB
– Seeker (@SamQari) 26 May 2022
The post was widely shared on social media platforms, which sparked a debate about hospitality and cultural customs in Sweden and other countries.
What did the Swedes have to say?
Several Swedes were quick to defend the mill and claimed that the Swedish people do not serve food to guests, especially children, so that it does not interfere with the plans that their families may already have at home.
Feels like I as a Swede have to clarify certain things. Why people do not usually eat with others is because they have food at home. And if you eat elsewhere, that food will be wasted. If you ask your hosts a few hours before and your own parents, there will be no problem #Swedengate
– Olle Söderlund (@ soderlundolleg1) June 1, 2022
“Swedish thinking goes like this: the other child (or the other family) may have plans for a different kind of dinner, and you do not want to ruin the routine or the preparations. I do not think it has to do with not wanting to feed the other child or because it costs money or so, it has more to do with tradition and that you want to eat with your own family “, wrote Linda Johannson in an op . -ed for The independent.
Some have linked the exercise to Nordic Viking culture, where a meal is often seen as a debt. In Nordic culture, unpaid debt often resulted in violent duels.
But many Swedish users also pointed out that the practice made little difference to them when they grew up in the country, which is known for its high standard of living and fair access to crucial resources such as healthcare.
What does #SwedenGate have to do with racism?
The conversation quickly changed, where users of social media told about their experiences of racism in Sweden as well as the country’s colonial history.
“I started looking at Sweden when I found out that there is a minority of the indigenous population there. Every white country where there are indigenous peoples and they are a minority, the white majority is rubbish. I do not create the rules, it is a pattern “, wrote a Twitter user with reference to the country’s indigenous Sami community. Sami also live in Finland, Norway and Murmansk Oblast, which is a federal subject in Russia.
They are descendants of the nomadic groups that inhabited northern Scandinavia for thousands of years. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Sweden and other Scandinavian states began to overthrow the Sami community, in an attempt to gain sovereignty over their country, assert their policies on them and push them to the periphery.
As many Sami are still exposed to abuse and discrimination, members of society have pushed the Swedish government to address the human rights violations committed against them.
What about the people who support Sweden?
In response to the criticism, several social media users have pointed out that the country is known for its generous refugee policy. The number of refugees living in the country increased to 2,54,000 in 2019, according to a report from Newsweek.
Others highlighted the country’s progressive social policy, which makes resources such as healthcare and education more accessible. “We pay about 70 percent of our income in taxes. So people in this country can have a roof over their heads and food on the table. This includes all war victims created by America, Russia, Turkey, etc. And now you make fun of Sweden because we do not cook for you “, wrote a user, according to Newsweek.
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