Culture shock when moving from a 1st world nation to another 1st world nation? (unemployment rate, neighborhoods)

[asiandudeyo]

Originally Posted by Alex =]

The U.S. is not first world.

Canada, Australia, Japan, and some European countries are first world.

The Gini Index is horrible in the U.S.A. (Gap between rich and poor), public schools are being replaced by under-performing charter schools (for profit), SOCIAL security is not social (even though the goverment collects social security from you) and it does not include social healthcare, and the cities are not walk-able so people get very heavy.

The U.S. is second world.

Some U.S. cities are first world but that does not mean the entire country is first world.

I agree with you. When I moved from Miami to PA three years ago, it was a culture shock. Even Philadelphia is a little bit behind in certain aspects. Good thing New York City is not far.
I try to be honest here!
BUt after about 2 years now it is a culture shock to go to NYC or Miami. LOL! I become uncomfortable!

[aliss2]

Yes! I moved from west coast Canada (English-speaking) to rural Quebec (French-speaking) and it was very hard. Lots of tears, resentment, etc. but it took time to get over. It's hard to go years without hearing your native language in person.

[pettyhate]

I moved from the UK to Singapore they are nothing like each other well apart from both countries drive on the left and the education system is based on the British system form the colonial days but culture wise totally different but I find that I can adjust easily so it was never a problem.

[Ag77845]

Originally Posted by iNviNciBL3

Every nation has citizens who think they live in the best nation in the world.
It is not just an American thing lol.

No.

Most residents in the third world know they were born in a creepy country, that's why Mexicans are doing whatever they can to immigrate to the U.S, even illegally.

The U.S is the most powerful country, which also means big corporations and politicians in the U.S are very powerful.
But average Americans don't have the same quality of life as many other developed countries.The food quality in U.S is probably the worst in developed world, that's why obesity is common.

[Dave Egerton]

I don't think it's just about nations - it can also be about which region you choose in a particular nation. A German friend told me that Hamburg & Bremen are culturally much closer to England than they are to, for example, Munich, which isn't really surprising when you know that Angeln & Saxony are still full of Angles and Saxons, and we're largely Anglo-Saxon. I've had Dutch friends that I've stayed with and they are very similar to us - Netherlands has been described by them (jokingly) as 'an England that actually works'. Our culture changes from region to region, and I believe that is also true of the US - how much culture shock US citizens feel here will, I suspect, be dependent on where in the US they come from, and where in England they move to. Mainly, I suspect, it will be about language differences and misunderstandings, and possibly a difference in the way we talk with each other - realistically I would think that six months at least is needed to adjust.

[Ag77845]

Originally Posted by Dave Egerton

I don't think it's just about nations - it can also be about which region you choose in a particular nation. A German friend told me that Hamburg & Bremen are culturally much closer to England than they are to, for example, Munich, which isn't really surprising when you know that Angeln & Saxony are still full of Angles and Saxons, and we're largely Anglo-Saxon. I've had Dutch friends that I've stayed with and they are very similar to us - Netherlands has been described by them (jokingly) as 'an England that actually works'. Our culture changes from region to region, and I believe that is also true of the US - how much culture shock US citizens feel here will, I suspect, be dependent on where in the US they come from, and where in England they move to. Mainly, I suspect, it will be about language differences and misunderstandings, and possibly a difference in the way we talk with each other - realistically I would think that six months at least is needed to adjust.

Sometimes, you need a few months to fully appreciate the cultural difference.

[Jimrob1]

I've lived in 4 countries in my life. Ireland, Germany, Japan and the USA. The majority of the time has been in the USA. The biggest culture shocks I have felt, have been moving from one region of the US to another region. I honestly do not know why some of the states are all in the same country.

[iNviNciBL3]

Originally Posted by Ag77845

But average Americans don't have the same quality of life as many other developed countries.

Try to keep up, this has already been proven false.
You people want to think we have a poor quality of life but in reality we have a very great quality of life.

[Paparappa]

Originally Posted by iNviNciBL3

Try to keep up, this has already been proven false.
You people want to think we have a poor quality of life but in reality we have a very great quality of life.

That is statistically false. The US has greater:

-Poverty rate
-Income inequality
-Healthcare costs
-Homicide rate
-Teen pregnancy rate
-Obesity
-Infant mortality rate

and lower:

-Income mobility
-Life expectancy
-Belief in evolution

Than most other developed countries. These are the facts.

That does not mean that you are a poor fat religiose serial murderer who knocks up teenagers and cannot afford healthcare.

But, statistically speaking, the average American is worse off than the average citizen of most other developed countries.

That does not mean that there aren't people who are perfectly fine with the US.
But just because your employer pays for your healthcare doesn't mean it's not the most expensive in the world, and that a lot of people in your country cannot afford a decent plan.
Just because you live in a safe neighborhood does not mean that the average person in your country does.

There are people who live perfectly safe and comfortable lives in Greece. That doesn't mean that Greece does not have a problem.

I don't know why you take it so personally. If you live in a good area, have a good job, and lead a comfortable life, good for you. But that's just your experience as an individual. You are an individual before you are an American.

[cali3448893]

Originally Posted by Paparappa

That is statistically false. The US has greater:

-Poverty rate
-Income inequality
-Healthcare costs
-Homicide rate
-Teen pregnancy rate
-Obesity
-Infant mortality rate

and lower:

-Income mobility
-Life expectancy
-Belief in evolution

Than most other developed countries. These are the facts.

That does not mean that you are a poor fat religiose serial murderer who knocks up teenagers and cannot afford healthcare.

But, statistically speaking, the average American is worse off than the average citizen of most other developed countries.

That does not mean that there aren't people who are perfectly fine with the US.
But just because your employer pays for your healthcare doesn't mean it's not the most expensive in the world, and that a lot of people in your country cannot afford a decent plan.
Just because you live in a safe neighborhood does not mean that the average person in your country does.

There are people who live perfectly safe and comfortable lives in Greece. That doesn't mean that Greece does not have a problem.

I don't know why you take it so personally. If you live in a good area, have a good job, and lead a comfortable life, good for you. But that's just your experience as an individual. You are an individual before you are an American.

But...but...Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed