Some Interesting Cultural Differences

On this page, you will find some interesting cultural differences we have noticed. Not all of these will apply to your guests, as individuals are individuals, after all. Cultural generalisations should never be taken to apply universally: these notes are based on our observations so far, and will be updated regularly. If you have anything to add to this list, please contact 07799271913.

Driving

Many Ukrainians—though certainly not all—seem only to be able to drive automatic gear cars. This will not only have short term implications, but also longer term ones to do e.g., with driving tests and the availability of cars to purchase. [NB: Ukrainians' drivers licences are only valid for one year upon arrival; then, they have to sit tests.]

Seatbelt laws are broadly ignored in Ukraine: a recent study found that over 85% of drivers did not use seatbelts.

Similarly, here in the UK we are much more scrupulous about car seats and boosters seats.

These–seatbelt and carseat etc. laws and norms—should be explained clearly.

Early Childhood Education

In the UK, children go to school from age 5. In Ukraine, they begin at age 6; however, some Ukrainian families start educating their children from a younger age. For this reason (not to mention language etc.), you might want to consider advising your guests to start their children one year below what you would expect.

Childcare

On average, Ukrainian parents seem to have a higher tolerance for leaving their children by themselves than do British parents. In practice, what this might mean is that they leave their children at home while they out, and hosts then assume that they have to do childcare. But this assumption may not be shared by the guest parent, who might be happy to leave the children home alone (i.e., without the host there). These assumptions are worth discussing openly to avoid conflict. It may also be worth discussing the social norms in the UK around this: while there is no official legal age at which a child may be left at home, this is typically not done with children under the age of 10, at risk of Child Services being called...

Healthcare

Access to healthcare is superficially similar in the UK and Ukraine: i.e., there are gatekeepers to tests and treatments (111 and GPs here; GPs and an app there). But the availability of tests and treatments do differ, including in terms of wait times.

If your guests seem impatient about access to healthcare, this may be why (or it could be hypochondria...). Pharmacies in Ukraine and the UK are also willing to dispense different medications (e.g., antibiotics) over-the-counter, and it seems that pharmacies are more common in Ukraine. [NB: For those of you who are familiar with the US, it seems a bit like that.]

It is important that you explain the British attitude towards access to healthcare, not just how the system works.

Heating

I could say "Ukrainians heat their homes a lot more than Brits", but as an pretty well-traveled immigrant myself, I will instead say "Brits heat their homes a lot less than everyone else." Your guests are likely to complain of the cold. The price of power explains some of the differences between the UK and Ukraine here, and it's worth having a conversation about that.

Social Attitudes/Political Correctness

On average, Ukrainians hold more conservative views on certain social issues—e.g., on race, sex/gender, sexuality—than we do here in the UK. However, as is also true in the UK, these vary by generation, urban/rural location, and education.

Re: race, the demographic context of Ukraine is that it is ~98% White, compared to ~86% in the UK. You may find that your guests might express surprise or discomfort or even fear of non-White ethnic minorities; and you may also find that their children strongly disagree with their parents on this! If you encounter this, it may be worth having a polite conversation about social norms here, without escalating matters.

Re: sex/gender, sexuality, etc., likewise you may encounter less liberal views than are commonplace in the UK. A conversation about British views may be worth having, though timing and manner will be important here.

Please/Thank you

This is an issue that pops up only sporadically. Markers of politeness do differ somewhat between the UK and Ukraine. One example of this is that "please" and "thank you" are less important and less common in Ukraine (Jonathan: as they also are where I grew up, actually). They are also more direct with their requests (e.g., "I want X", as opposed to the quintessentially British "Could I please possibly trouble you to maybe help me obtain X?").

As people do, your guests will learn the social norms here over time and with experience. In the meantime, it's worth knowing that they're not "being rude"; or rather, that British canons of politeness/rudeness are not universal. On the other hand, there is a practical benefit to your guests knowing about British norms of politeness as soon as possible. In this country, thanking people is more likely to elicit further generosity than not thanking people; furthermore, if someone is not thanked they might assume that what they did was undesirable and therefore not worth repeating.

Food

It is obvious that Ukrainian and British food differ. More interesting are norms governing the appropriateness of different kinds of food. For example, the avoidance of meat on Fridays is still more common in Ukraine than in the UK. And some Ukrainians associate cake with celebration; in contrast to tea-and-cake being a staple of British life. We trust that you will be able to negotiate these.