Out of Pod Experience

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TLDR:



As a latinamerican with vast cultural differences even within my own region, I found this interesting to read.

Currently about to read the final paper ... Food for thought

Cheers!

Confirming that there's no way to make many generalizations about this crew. I grew up in Texas and have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and currently around New York City. The three places could all be separate countries, culture-wise. Especially the northeast East Coast area. Texas and California aren't that much different, but people in the northeast East Coast area have a totally different way of thinking and interacting with each other.

That's the regional basic culture/approach aspect. Then there's the regional beliefs and lifestyles aspect. The big chunk of Protestant Christian dominated Red States in the middle, and the more liberal thinking Blue States on the coasts. The current gun control debate is a good example of the polarized sets of values/beliefs.

Then in addition to the regional differences, there are the cultural differences between the various ethnic communities. Then there's the cultural differences between rural and urban Americans.


But the one overlooked cultural difference, I think, is the one between the wealthy and the working. Historically Americans haven't like to acknowledge class distinctions much. It doesn't fit with the idea of equality and the American Dream of everybody being able to make it to the top. But I think (for example) a white working class guy in Louisiana has more in common with an African American working guy in Seattle than he does with the rich white guy down the road. Old money is its own exclusive culture that transcends all regions and even international boundaries.

-K. Deserters, TL;DR Professor of Armchair Opinions

So... Culture shapes the mind and perception of morals and cognative thought.

If I'd of said that in Highschool I would have been sent to the Headmasters office to be told about Diversity.

Not kidding here.

i'm definitely a weird one. lol

i could provide photographic evidence but that's probably not a good idea. i have at least a moderately sane reputation to uphold

This seems to be the right thread to plop this down... Kotaku on the best C-Span speech ever.

http://kotaku.com/5987355/the-derpface-in-the-middle-of-this-politicians-anti+video-game-speech-says-it-all?utm_campaign=Socialflow_Kotaku_Facebook&utm_source=Kotaku_Facebook&utm_medium=Socialflow

I was accused of being a fairly level headed, sane, well adjusted, and intelligent individual that shows good judgement the other day at work. Told the boss, the one accusing me, not to let that get out and that I have a reputation to uphold. He gave me a look like I grew another head.

Since highschool, I'm the type of guy that could use his powers for either good or ebil.

Now that's the first time I've ever heard THAT.

Southern California.....maybe....but NoCal is utterly different from Texas. Utterly.

As an anthropologist / archaeologist by training, I sympathise with the total randomness and current PCness of everything especially in cultural anthropology. Essentially to get a good grade your thinking much match the opinion of the department or at least those of the assessors.

The 19th century must have been more fun, when you could simply find these people, learn the language, introduce sexual diseases and showcase them at the zoo... i mean the Crystal Palace as an exhibit....then live off the proceeds which was basically a paid for sexual romp. Plus the 19th century books are more fun to read.

The dead are much easier to study...

Still, the main article is a fascinating read.

Americans are starkly different from one another to an extent observed maybe by another American living among them, but from an outsider's point of view, aside from obvious political leanings, Americans are actually quite similar to each other. Boundaries are formed when one has the space to afford such boundaries, not from any cultural or anthropological difference.

Americans tend to all think the same way. Although they may have starkly different opinions, their way of thinking is very similar to one another. Americans are products of their environment, and their environment is 90% commercialism and marketing. This is why they seem to never be happy if everything isn't exactly as they're used to, and this is why people have the opinion that Americans want everywhere they travel to be just like America, and they don't understand why they don't just stay at home if that's the case. Americans want everything bigger, more convenient, and cheaper. Also, Americans are notoriously nationalistic, even the most liberal of them. For some reason, we have a really, really difficult time admitting how screwed up we are. Sure, we'll do it for posturing's sake, but it's not genuine. Idealism in America was once a strength, but now it's quite dangerous.

The differences between the states are only skin-deep, trust me.

Again, not to be a huge naysayer all of a sudden, and though I agree with applying this to Texas, I found NoCal folks to be congenial and chatty and everything beyond belief.

I'm not sure about SoCal, but that was the way it was in the Bay Area for me. It was almost too friendly.