What attitudes are more prevalent among people who lived here pre-steel-bust? (Pittsburgh: how much, college)

[Caladium]

This thread was inspired by a post in another thread:

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I'd resist generalizations based purely on age. I do think that certain attitudes are more prevalent among people who lived here pre-steel-bust, and since we are talking 30+ years ago, there is going to be a correlation with age. But that's not the same thing as attributing those attitudes to age itself, and in any event there are certainly going to be exceptions.

I'm intrigued. What are the attitudes that may be more prevalent among people who lived here pre-steel-bust? Why do they hold onto them? How will things change as time passes?

[Pitt Chick]

Attitudes about what specifically?
Politics?
Religion?
Unions?
etc

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

Attitudes about what specifically?
Politics?
Religion?
Unions?
etc

Those are three good ones to start with. Another way to put it might be "How did attitudes toward politics, religion, and unions change as a result of the steel bust?"

[Craziaskowboi]

I think the biggest change has been educational. Pittsburgh has an average ranking among all U.S. metros with regard to the percentage of residents ages 25+ with college degrees, but in this case, the mean is the result of two extremes: the percentage of Pittsburgh residents ages 55+ is college-educated at a rate well below the national and metropolitan averages while the percentage of Pittsburgh residents ages 25 to 44 is college-educated at a rate well above the U.S. and metropolitan averages. As the elderly generation passes, Pittsburgh is going to skyrocket up every chart involving a comparison of educational attainment.

The other big change has been political. Lots of (liberal) people lament that Pittsburgh has been one of the few major U.S. metros to become more Republican in the last 30 years, but it makes sense to me because the region used to be so heavily Democrat that if western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio merged to form a new state, it would have had the largest margin of votes for Walter Mondale of any state in 1984. You can only get more Republican from that point. *lol*

[BrianTH]

What I had in mind was basically a wistfulness for Pittsburgh's glory days as an industrial powerhouse, and skepticism about the possibility of Pittsburgh becoming a good city in any other way. That is probably too harsh as I am stating it, and certainly it is not true of all such people. Still, I do think the not uncommon feeling that Pittsburgh's Golden Age is behind it, never to return, leads to some unfortunate opposition to change, or at least an unfortunate level of comfort with the status quo.

Edit: Incidentally, not that I am objecting to the existence of this thread, but I didn't originally mean to be calling out people who have been here since before the steel bust. In the original context, I was trying to explain how I think some attitudes ascribed to people in Pittsburgh based on age might more properly be analyzed in these terms.

[jay5835]

I like the air quality more now. I would never have moved back if the steel industry hadn't retired.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

One thing that I frequently see amongst my family and my friend's families is the emphasis on hard work. I'm thinking it comes from that blue collar steel town mindset, but for whatever reason people equate working hard with being successful. Doesn't matter if you're working for peanuts or you're stretching yourself too thin, the idea of working hard is the most noble thing one can do in life. Unfortunately I've grown up to see that working hard means nothing in the corporate world, instead being slick and cunning are far more valuable.

Has anyone else seen this attitude amongst people who have lived here all their lives?

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

One thing that I frequently see amongst my family and my friend's families is the emphasis on hard work. I'm thinking it comes from that blue collar steel town mindset, but for whatever reason people equate working hard with being successful. Doesn't matter if you're working for peanuts or you're stretching yourself too thin, the idea of working hard is the most noble thing one can do in life. Unfortunately I've grown up to see that working hard means nothing in the corporate world, instead being slick and cunning are far more valuable.

Has anyone else seen this attitude amongst people who have lived here all their lives?

Wonder how much of that is also called the 'German work ethic'.

The midwest seems to always be associated with strong work ethics, and often hear that German association as well...

German ethnicity in America: (The darker, the more)

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

One thing that I frequently see amongst my family and my friend's families is the emphasis on hard work. I'm thinking it comes from that blue collar steel town mindset, but for whatever reason people equate working hard with being successful. Doesn't matter if you're working for peanuts or you're stretching yourself too thin, the idea of working hard is the most noble thing one can do in life. Unfortunately I've grown up to see that working hard means nothing in the corporate world, instead being slick and cunning are far more valuable.

Has anyone else seen this attitude amongst people who have lived here all their lives?

That's interesting, because one of my coworkers is the first one in her family to have a college education. She's really unhappy with her job, is woefully underpaid, but she still gives it 110%, rarely taking time off or coming in late, etc. It's almost like it would never occur to her to not work hard because of her family's blue collar work ethic.

[Caladium]

It may also explain why many PA seniors prefer a quiet, couch potato type of retirement. If they've given 120% every day of their working years, a day with nothing much to do is a dream come true.