Trevek
10 Apr 2012
Life / Poland needs more immigrants and their children - which nationalities are the best? [518]
Agreed, but then we could also say there is no single R'n'R, I mean there are so many sub-genres and, in the early days, regional variations. They just come from a source which was formed by the "American experience" and operate with an identity known as Rock'n'Roll.
This is kind of what I'd say American culture is, it is something formed from the experience of different original/migrant cultures under the heading of "America". It only exists because "America" made it exist and evolve. It is only defined because those within it define themselves as "American" and recognise others, who may express it differently as fellow "Americans".
So, when Pip says
, I'd suggest the main reason they aren't is because they recognise themselves as Candadian and American. Otherwise, apart from certain regional/ethnic areas, how exactly is the culture so different? Would you also say that the US culture on the Mexican border is the same as that on the Canadian border? Does the culture change noticeably and radically when you cross into Canada?
To use the comparison of Ukrainians, Germans is not a solid comparison because of the language difference, for one. However, in some cases, like Lemko, Hutsul etc, they were defined as Polish or Ukrainian at different times of the 20th century. Likewise, Mazurians and Warmians have skated the thin ice of being "German" or "Polish". Likewise, what happens when someone talks of "Slavonic culture"? Usually the idiosyncracies are overlooked in the search for a common culture.
that's kind of what I was getting at with your "rock n roll" example. How that element of culture actually gets expressed in daily life in the U.S. is something pretty hard to define. Overall though, I think I see what you're getting at.
Agreed, but then we could also say there is no single R'n'R, I mean there are so many sub-genres and, in the early days, regional variations. They just come from a source which was formed by the "American experience" and operate with an identity known as Rock'n'Roll.
This is kind of what I'd say American culture is, it is something formed from the experience of different original/migrant cultures under the heading of "America". It only exists because "America" made it exist and evolve. It is only defined because those within it define themselves as "American" and recognise others, who may express it differently as fellow "Americans".
So, when Pip says
sorry, Canada and America are not the same culture.
, I'd suggest the main reason they aren't is because they recognise themselves as Candadian and American. Otherwise, apart from certain regional/ethnic areas, how exactly is the culture so different? Would you also say that the US culture on the Mexican border is the same as that on the Canadian border? Does the culture change noticeably and radically when you cross into Canada?
To use the comparison of Ukrainians, Germans is not a solid comparison because of the language difference, for one. However, in some cases, like Lemko, Hutsul etc, they were defined as Polish or Ukrainian at different times of the 20th century. Likewise, Mazurians and Warmians have skated the thin ice of being "German" or "Polish". Likewise, what happens when someone talks of "Slavonic culture"? Usually the idiosyncracies are overlooked in the search for a common culture.