Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Culture is defined as that which is excellent in the arts, letters, scholarly pursuits, etc.
Cultured is to subject to culture.
Basically, yes, you are more cultured if you live in a major city. Much less now than 20 years ago, and much, much less than 40 years ago, now that the dissemination of culture is available due to recorded media and the internet.
Culture is defined as that which is excellent in the arts, letters, scholarly pursuits, etc.
Cultured is to subject to culture.
Basically, yes, you are more cultured if you live in a major city. Much less now than 20 years ago, and much, much less than 40 years ago, now that the dissemination of culture is available due to recorded media and the internet.
So if I'm poor and live in the inner city without a lot of access to those excellent things am I more cultured than the rube who drives in from the country on the weekends to partake of those excellent things?
So if I'm poor and live in the inner city without a lot of access to those excellent things am I more cultured than the rube who drives in from the country on the weekends to partake of those excellent things?
If you take advantage of what is available then YES.
I was "poor" growing up in the inner city, but I never knew it until I was an adult. I was introduced to different languages and cultures daily by our Polish, Italian, Greek, Arab, Slavic, German, Dutch, Czech, etc neighbors and businesses. There were different ethnic parades and festivals all over the city that we attended. There were churches and synagogues of every type just in the neighborhood. As kids we walked to the art galleries and museums for fun, along with parks and zoos. Many most had free days. Our parks had free concerts, free summer Shakespeare performances, etc. We had tremendous free library system, and busses to take us all over the city. Our public school would often host artists and performers, like members of the Philharmonic to introduce us to classical music, and of course field trips to area museums, theaters, concerts, and historical sites. As my city was on the border, our field trips included day trips in Canada where I learned there was an entirely different perspective on the War of 1812 than was taught in the US. In high school I was able to attend concerts and symposiums at one of our local universities, along with greater opportunities to see popular performers who play bigger cities.
Today, my city has different new immigrants, different languages and perspectives, newer and bigger cultural institutions, etc. It still has festivals and concerts, free public libraries, free museum days, etc. And there is public transportation, some of it free, available to people who live in the city.
Last edited by RocketSci; 06-20-2022 at 04:05 PM..
In some ways, this is a very 20th century and earlier, kind of question.
If culture means exposure, as the OP states, then generally, in the past, one who lives away from a city, and doesn't have easy access to it, won't have the exposure and familiarity to things different from themselves. They will appear limited or uncultured.
There are exceptions of course, a country resident who has someone who brought them books and stories, about the outside world, was probably more " cultured " than a field hand.
Today it's different. Someone who is interested can easily have access to all sorts of different cultures and ideas, especially with the internet.
The big difference though, is the difference between book knowledge and experience. One still has to go out and see for themselves the world, rather than reading, or clicking away on a computer.
It's much easier in a city if one is so inclined. That doesn't mean that there aren't plenty of uncultured people in cites.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,576 posts, read 81,186,228 times
Reputation: 57813
What comes to mind is that "You can bring a horse to the water but you can't make it drink." In other words, just being in a big city doesn't mean that any culture will rub off, one has to visit/participate in the cultural institutions and events, or they can remain just as "un-cultured" as the resident of the rural trailer park. What the big city residents do get, whether they want it or not, is street smarts.
Both big city and rural residents - and those in between - could learn a lot from spending time outside their usual environments. Cities do have more to offer in terms of certain cultural niches, but many local residents never take advantage, and people from elsewhere may partake of such amenities when visiting.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
