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I've been to several states and have never been culture shocked by anything yet. I find that cultural differences are determined more by ethnicity, urbanity level, and political views
Regional slang, fashion, and accents have been fading to a large degree. I meet people from all over the US as well, and rarely is there anything regionally discernible about their personality.
Ethnicity, urbanity and political views vary widely be region, so this doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever. Add to the mix of those three things stuff like music, food, architecture, slang, sports preferences and the like, and I think there are still very pronounced regional differences in the U.S. -- although I grant that the Internet has helped narrow, but not eliminate regional differences over the past generation.
I think it's totally absurd to say there are no discernible regional differences between, say, Low Country South Carolina and Cajun Louisiana, between downtown San Francisco and downtown Columbus Ohio (two cities with about the same population), between suburban Boston and suburban Atlanta --- or a million other regional comparisons you might make.
Moreover, a regionally discernible personality -- whatever that means -- probably does not exist. I've meet some of the friendliest kindest people in New York, Seattle, and Philadelphia, which are supposedly cities where people have and 'edge', and some of the most mean-spirited, stupid folks ever in the so-called 'heartland' Midwest, which some consider the 'real' America. When I travel, I make no assumptions anymore about how people will behave because my assumptions have been proven wrong enough for me to know that, to use a cliche, you cannot tell a book by its cover -- or where it's shelved in the library.
Regional differences definitely exist and will manifest themselves in all sorts of ways, but hardly ever, I'd say, in ways that determine inherent personality and behavior.
Ethnicity, urbanity and political views vary widely by region, so this doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever.
That's my take on it. I'm Northeast Corridor in Massachusetts. Your typical suburban, good school, professional career type. A big chunk of the country might as well be Klingons since they don't reflect my cultural values at all.
That's my take on it. I'm Northeast Corridor in Massachusetts. Your typical suburban, good school, professional career type. A big chunk of the country might as well be Klingons since they don't reflect my cultural values at all.
And, to them, you might as well be a Klingon. After all, nowhere else are there suburbs, good schools, or people with professional careers. Right??
Where? Roy Rogers was a thing that was more common Downstate or maybe up to about the Hudson Valley, but that was it.
I will say that things like brands, stores, etc. can vary within a state, let alone comparisons between different states. For instance, how many Downstate NYers know about Garbage Plates or Speidies?
To add to the Michigan thing, brands like Vernors and Faygo were more common there than NY, even though you could find both occasionally. They call sneakers Tennis Shoes and can have some Coney Island hot dog spots, especially in the Detroit area.
I'm from NYC and I know aboug Spiedies and Garbage Plates
Ethnicity, urbanity and political views vary widely be region, so this doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever. Add to the mix of those three things stuff like music, food, architecture, slang, sports preferences and the like, and I think there are still very pronounced regional differences in the U.S. -- although I grant that the Internet has helped narrow, but not eliminate regional differences over the past generation.
I think it's totally absurd to say there are no discernible regional differences between, say, Low Country South Carolina and Cajun Louisiana, between downtown San Francisco and downtown Columbus Ohio (two cities with about the same population), between suburban Boston and suburban Atlanta --- or a million other regional comparisons you might make.
Moreover, a regionally discernible personality -- whatever that means -- probably does not exist. I've meet some of the friendliest kindest people in New York, Seattle, and Philadelphia, which are supposedly cities where people have and 'edge', and some of the most mean-spirited, stupid folks ever in the so-called 'heartland' Midwest, which some consider the 'real' America. When I travel, I make no assumptions anymore about how people will behave because my assumptions have been proven wrong enough for me to know that, to use a cliche, you cannot tell a book by its cover -- or where it's shelved in the library.
Regional differences definitely exist and will manifest themselves in all sorts of ways, but hardly ever, I'd say, in ways that determine inherent personality and behavior.
Sports teams don't mean anything to me because tons of people just bandwagon whatever team is doing best. I know a ton of New Yorkers who hate the Knicks and follow Lebron.
If you're going to say that architectural differences account for culture, well, that varies within cities too. A large chunk of NYC is suburban with detached 1 family houses and filled with people who drive everywhere.
That's my take on it. I'm Northeast Corridor in Massachusetts. Your typical suburban, good school, professional career type. A big chunk of the country might as well be Klingons since they don't reflect my cultural values at all.
A big chunk of the country is exactly as you described. Is the Northeast the only part of the US that has upscale suburbia and white color jobs?
Not just the U.S. but all of North America. Canadians and Americans don't have significant differences in culture (and the differences that are exaggerated are a result of nationalism and political differences).
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