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Czech National Character

The most obvious expression of the search for the essence of national identity is the images people have of themselves and of other nations. National stereotypes are perceived from the inside (autostereotype) as well as outside (heterostereotype) perspective. When reflecting on themselves as a nation, Czechs refer either to certain national qualities or dispositions or to what they consider to be their national traditions. In attempts at describing the Czech national character, mainly for didactic purposes, some self-stereotypes emerged depicting the Czechs as peaceful, modest, educated and industrious.

For most of the twentieth century, the Czechs defined themselves through their culture, based on a very high moral code, summed up by the slogan of Czechoslovak presidents "Truth prevails", and put succinctly by Tomas Masaryk, first president of the pre-war democratic Czechoslovak Republic, when he said that the life of the Czechs and Slovaks should be guided by two simple commandments: "Do not be afraid" and "Do not steal." Masaryk was a philosopher in presidential office, but his highly ethical attitude was based on a centuries-long tradition of Czech literature which, from the fourteenth century onwards, was, for a long time virtually obsessed with the concepts of right and wrong and with the principles of proper moral living.

Most of the sociological and political-scientific writing on Central and Eastern Europe is grounded in a sociological universalism which treats this region as a politically, economically, and, to some extent, even culturally undifferentiated whole. Social equality was an important aspect of the ideology of all former socialist countries, but in Czechoslovakia it was realised in practice to a far more significant degree than anywhere else in Eastern Europe, Czechoslovakia eliminated the private sector to a much greater extent and had a more egalitarian income policy than the other states of the socialist bloc.

Awareness of being Czech is tacit. It is grounded in an implicit awareness of the common historical fate of the collectivity spoken of as "we", but is seldom the subject of an explicit discourse. Czech nationalism includes awareness of a separate Czech identity, the deep-rooted conviction of the existence of a Czech nation, and an explicit or tacit identification with it. This Czech nationalism tends to be overshadowed by the manifest Slovak nationalism even for many Czechs, who, paradoxically, manifest it through its vehement denial. This is because it is the nationalism of a dominant nation which, unlike the Slovak nation, had in its own view already achieved sovereignty in the Czechoslovak Republic.

Czech society is stratified in terms of economic and educational status, differentiated along the urban-rural divide, and increasingly embraces a wide variety of political orientations. The social, economic, and political differences are paralleled by cultural differences. The culture of a small farming village or a small market town is in many ways different from the culture of Prague, the political and cultural capital of the country, or that of other large towns. The culture of manual workers is considerably different from the culture of farmers, on the one hand, and the culture of university-educated elites, on the other. Nevertheless, in spite of this cultural diversity, Czechs recognise a common level of cultural identity and in numerous contexts talk about themselves as an undifferentiated community sharing a single culture. This feeling of cultural commonality is much stronger among Czechs than it is, for example, in Britain.

Most workplaces have a very hierarchical chain of command (Czechs emulate to a certain degree the so-called "German model") but, increasingly, more upstart companies, especially small companies have more relaxed structures. To a certain extent, the legacy of the communist period can also be seen in organizational business culture. There are two types of leaders with very different competing visions. One is an old fashioned director, who gives orders without questioning the boss. New leaders are mostly managers who share the power they wield and support independent work. The problem is often that many ordinary (especially older) employees are still used to someone who gives orders and might look for a boss who is both a respected person and one whose decisions it is better not to challenge.

At first contact Czechs may often seem cautious and impersonal and/or indifferent, but with a tactful approach they might become effectively engaged. Czechs almost never go straight to the point and meetings start with some small talk. They like very much negotiating and the first meeting is usually just for discussion on a general level. After the first meeting, they decide whether to continue or not.

As in most parts of the world, topics such as weather or "where are you from" are safe to begin your conversation with. Explanations regarding the purpose of your visit might also work as an ice-breaker. No special taboos exists, except that vulgarities/obscenities should be avoided as in any other country. Otherwise, anything positive that the person can relate to can break the ice; for instance, it is advisable to know at least a couple of names of Czech players in the NHL. As Czech culture is characterized by the relatively strong sense of masculinity, other suitable general topics for a conversation are sports, beer, and politics with man, or shopping or prices with women. Czechs are usually critical of politicians but foreigners are not supposed to volunteer their opinion on Czech politics.

Humour is part of traditional Czech culture, sometimes this is a "wetter" kind of humour than British or Canadian "dry" humour. This does not necessarily mean a "black" humour; at the same time, it is often a humour without any political correctness, sometimes containing "racial slurs." It is also extremely important to realize that Czech have two modes of speaking to one another: a) "vykání" or "polite form"—using the 2nd person plural when talking to an adult; and b) "tykání" or "familiar form"—using the 2nd person singular when talking to a good friend, family member, or a child. When talking in Czech to an adult in the Czech Republic one must always use the polite form (vykání) unless the person asked to use the familiar mode.

Regional /local background, level of education, and individual temperament are key factors in determining peoples’ level of comfort with touching and gestures. Although Czechs generally have quite a developed sense of space in personal dealings with one another, the actual distance depends very much on the context of the situation and the individual inclinations of persons involved. Distance is usually greater when speaking or dealing with not-yet-familiar people. The best guidance here is to observe. After an initial obligatory handshake, gauge each person’s degree of comfort with touching and their preference for personal space, and then adjust as needed while maintaining your own level of comfort.

Regular eye contact is required if you want to be judged as trustworthy. Czechs will not necessarily maintain continuous eye contact (especially when they take their time to "think through" their response), but it is considered a sign of ill or "suspicious" intentions if a person refuses to make or is avoiding eye contact.

It is customary to shake hands with both men and women when greeting them. There are set rules for initiating a handshake. For example, it is expected that one should wait until an older person or a woman offers a handshake. In a familiar setting it may be customary that men and women will give each other a hug and /or kiss on each cheek; however, foreigners are advised not to initiate such actions. While talking, men generally do not touch other men unless they have reached a fairly high level of familiarity and comfort with that person. If one of the two persons is of significantly higher age or prestige, he/she might initiate occasional touching to show his/her assurances or for emphasis. This practice applies to a lesser degree for contact between men and women and it is usually considered a test of "good manners" that a man does not initiate any touching. The rules for a woman touching another woman are similar to those for men.

Czechs make relatively little use of gestures, though perhaps they use them slightly more than Canadians. It is interesting to note that they find a lot of gesturing annoying and ill-mannered. There are some gestures that are considered rude: waving a lifted fist, waiving a pointed index finger, pointing at someone, and especially pointing one’s finger to one’s forehead. A common, if not overly polite way of showing disapproval is by moving one’s head from the right to the left while frowning.

A superior is usually respected for his or her level of experience in that profession but his skills in dealing with people and "natural authority" are also very important. It is crucial that a superior be viewed by his or her employees as fair, approachable, decisive, and hard-working. (A distant superior, uninterested in his /her staff and their opinion and needs could probably not expect a high degree of effort and cooperation.) In most cases he or she is expected to have a personal, individual "rapport" with his or her subordinates. Mastering the art of listening to others and being open to ideas brought up in broader discussion are also valuable qualities.

Women are considered the "weaker gender" and are treated with particular respect. They command certain privileges in most workplaces and other situations. (This does not mean pay equality. Women are generally paid less than men, but even on this account they might be slightly better off than their Canadian counterparts.) One is expected, both at workplace and outside it, to open the door for a woman and let her enter first, help her with her coat, stand up when she is standing, etc. In a less formal situation, one is expected to pay a compliment to a female colleague and/or bring flowers to a woman host.