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In my experience, people from the Northeast are usually more inclined towards communitarianism than people in, say, California or Texas because cities and towns in the Northeast are usually smaller (in terms of both geography and population) and ethnically or racially homogenous, the latter of which inherently increases social capital.
Unsurprisingly, it is rather common for people in the urban Northeast to be friendlier to and more open with people who are from the same ethnic and/or religious background (e.g., Jewish, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, etc.), but colder and more distant with people who are perceived as being different.
As another poster alluded upthread, people who are somewhat tribal in their social affiliations are more inclined to join and participate in organizations that are either loosely or heavily based on ethnicity and/or religion (e.g., Knights of Columbus).
This phenomenon may make cities, such as Boston and Philadelphia, for example, seem “friendlier” on paper than they actually are in real life.
Interestingly, however, New York City, sandwiched in between Boston and Philadelphia, trails both mightily. I wonder what the explanation of this could be, again, assuming these metrics are to be believed.
A much more transient population in NYC than the other two. Bet if you broke it down by borough, you'd see different results.
A much more transient population in NYC than the other two. Bet if you broke it down by borough, you'd see different results.
I think I know where you are going with this. Outer Boroughs (minus some trendy areas in Brooklyn) more genuine. I last lived in the NYC area just after 9/11/2001 and haven't lived there since. In the 1990s, Manhattan had many native New Yorkers. It's my understanding that isn't the case any longer.
In my experience, people from the Northeast are usually more inclined towards communitarianism than people in, say, California or Texas because cities and towns in the Northeast are usually smaller (in terms of both geography and population) and ethnically or racially homogenous, the latter of which inherently increases social capital.
Unsurprisingly, it is rather common for people in the urban Northeast to be friendlier to and more open with people who are from the same ethnic and/or religious background (e.g., Jewish, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, etc.), but colder and more distant with people who are perceived as being different.
As another poster alluded upthread, people who are somewhat tribal in their social affiliations are more inclined to join and participate in organizations that are either loosely or heavily based on ethnicity and/or religion (e.g., Knights of Columbus).
This phenomenon may make cities, such as Boston and Philadelphia, for example, seem “friendlier” on paper than they actually are in real life.
When commenting on a thread it’s useful to read the original starter post first. The “friendliness” referenced by the author appears to be due to how the local government shares information and how likely locals are to volunteer in their community.
Comments based only on the thread title do track another aspect of living in the area but it is worthy of a separate discussion. One-on-one friendliness. That can involve smiling or otherwise acknowledging people you pass on the street. Another level is sharing deep secrets with people you barely know but assume you have underlying similarities that will put it in perspective.
It’s easy to accept other cultures but we get “involved” most with people like ourselves as some earlier posters have suggested.
I think I know where you are going with this. Outer Boroughs (minus some trendy areas in Brooklyn) more genuine. I last lived in the NYC area just after 9/11/2001 and haven't lived there since. In the 1990s, Manhattan had many native New Yorkers. It's my understanding that isn't the case any longer.
This is pretty accurate. Once Tech came in the mid 00s to Manhattan, the city kind of became Sterile and 'trendy'. Therefore, less genuine. But you go out to South Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx .. its pretty genuine IMHO. But its happening in Boston too. Not so much Philly.
Comments based only on the thread title do track another aspect of living in the area but it is worthy of a separate discussion. One-on-one friendliness. That can involve smiling or otherwise acknowledging people you pass on the street. Another level is sharing deep secrets with people you barely know but assume you have underlying similarities that will put it in perspective.
But the study does in fact capture this, as in how likely people in a given city/region are to truly engage/do small favors for their neighbors. That was one of the measures studied.
That's not the same as charitable giving, volunteering to plant trees at a local park, or even saying "hello" on the street.
Neighborliness involves a lot more social nuance. And no, I don't agree that has to involve racial or cultural considerations--neighborliness as a concept is universal (or at least should be).
Last edited by Duderino; 04-08-2023 at 10:56 AM..
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