What are the important cultural differences between Canada and the US?

[Guest American Woman]

Maybe that's another cultural divergence.....any difference of opinion = conflict and "stubborness", which is a direct threat to "peace, order, and good government".

Good Lord. "Agree with me or you're stubborn" is about as ludicrous as it gets. Sort of dispels the "polite Canadian" stereotype, eh?

[Charles Anthony]

For Government's sake, folks!!

STOP this childish bickering.

The next person who continues this absurd repartee of personal attacks is going to be temporarily suspended.

Meditate upon this: If you can not ignore a fellow member who is acting silly-in-your-opinion then maybe, just maybe, you are acting silly too.

Ch. A.

[Guest Derek L]

Im pretty sure youll get converted to christianity, rudely yelled at, then shot to death

We'll see.........after tonight's red-eye, and assuming I don’t get any sleep, I could be the rude one when I arrive in DFW at 5:30am

[Guest American Woman]

We'll see.........after tonight's red-eye, and assuming I don’t get any sleep, I could be the rude one when I arrive in DFW at 5:30am

Just wear an "I heart Jesus" t-shirt and you'll be fine.

Soooooo .... business or pleasure?

[Guest Derek L]

Just wear an "I heart Jesus" t-shirt and you'll be fine.

Soooooo .... business or pleasure?

Nah, got the boy to memorize the lyrics to Yellow Rose of Texas…….just in case

And it’s a bit of both (bringing the boy along, not the wife) ……..In Forth Worth for a couple of days, then up to Amarillo for three more, then back down to DFW to visit some family friends through the 4th……..Planning to catch a couple of Rangers Games and shoot all sorts of guns that are waaay too fun

Perhaps the thread should be changed to: What are the important cultural differences between Canada and the United States…….And Texas:

Edited June 22, 2013 by Derek L

[Guest American Woman]

Nah, got the boy to memorize the lyrics to Yellow Rose of Texas.just in case

Don't forget Deep in the Heart of Texas!! .... Just in case. lol

And its a bit of both (bringing the boy along, not the wife) ..In Forth Worth for a couple of days, then up to Amarillo for three more, then back down to DFW to visit some family friends through the 4th..Planning to catch a couple of Rangers Games and shoot all sorts of guns that are waaay too fun

Sounds like a good time. Should be a fun Fourth - I'm sure they know how to celebrate in Texas!

Perhaps the thread should be changed to: What are the important cultural differences between Canada and the United States.And Texas:

Haha. True! I've never spent any time in Dallas-Fort Worth or Amarillo (though I've been through both), but I've been to Houston and Kemah, a great little town. Now Kemah has a culture based on religion - most of the signs listing business hours said "after Church is over" for their Sunday "open" time. Gotta love it! The people were all great.

Just remember - Don't Mess With Texas. IOW, Don't litter!

[Guest Derek L]

Don't forget Deep in the Heart of Texas!! .... Just in case. lol

Sounds like a good time. Should be a fun Fourth - I'm sure they know how to celebrate in Texas!

Haha. True! I've never spent any time in Dallas-Fort Worth or Amarillo (though I've been through both), but I've been to Houston and Kemah, a great little town. Now Kemah has a culture based on religion - most of the signs listing business hours said "after Church is over" for their Sunday "open" time. Gotta love it! The people were all great.

Just remember - Don't Mess With Texas. IOW, Don't litter!

Oh we know Deep in the Heart of Texas from the Big Bang Theory.........And they most certainly do know how to celebrate a 4th……granted haven’t been there for a fourth since we lived down their in the 90s……..

And I most certainly know Houston, and have driven through Kemah on route to Galveston…….Really nice coastal city…….We went to a friends retirement party at the Balinese Room... a few years before it got washed away by Hurricane Ike…..

http://youtu.be/8nXbAOgMavY

[Guest American Woman]

Oh we know Deep in the Heart of Texas from the Big Bang Theory.........

I love The Big Bang Theory!! - and the Texas-religious stereotypes are hilarious.

And they most certainly do know how to celebrate a 4th……granted haven’t been there for a fourth since we lived down their in the 90s……..

I'm sure nothing has changed in that regard.

And I most certainly know Houston, and have driven through Kemah on route to Galveston…….Really nice coastal city…….We went to a friends retirement party at the Balinese Room... a few years before it got washed away by Hurricane Ike…..

Good song! The Balinese Room sounds great.... what a shame that it got washed away.

[Moonlight Graham]

Edited based on Charles' warning.

Edited June 22, 2013 by Moonlight Graham

[Moonlight Graham]

Yeah, right. The sum of your post, your list, is that Americans are more religious.

Are Americans generally more religious, especially in the public sphere, than Canadians or not? Mine is not a controversial claim whatsoever.

You are anti-stereotype and against washing of many individual things into one group (which I didn't), and then you turn around and immediately claim my entire list is "just a bunch of stereotypes" (ie: false) or whatnot when you disagree with a couple of contentious points on the list that could legit be up for debate. Quite ironic.

Edited June 22, 2013 by Moonlight Graham

[dre]

STOP this childish bickering.

Ch. A.

Good luck with that!

[bush_cheney2004]

Are Americans generally more religious, especially in the public sphere, than Canadians or not? Mine is not a controversial claim whatsoever.

Do you mean by "public sphere" the direct references to specific religions in Canada's Constitution Act, "God" in its preamble, and resulting government funding of religious schools in several provinces ?

[Argus]

And that's because they have such a great quest for world knowledge? - Because they are so much more interested in learning about the U.S. than Americans are Canada?

No. I never even hinted such a thing.

The point I was clearly making was that the US is not exactly a far foreign land with which Canadians have no real acquaintance.

Edited June 24, 2013 by Argus

[Argus]

del

Edited June 24, 2013 by Argus

[cybercoma]

I've learned from this thread that there's no such thing as American culture. As opposed to being a melding pot, as some mistakenly call the US, it's really just a pastiche of various cultures with no meta-culture or dominant prevailing culture of any kind. In that way, it's impossible to say what the differences are between Canada and the US, since there is nothing to compare.

[bush_cheney2004]

I've learned from this thread that there's no such thing as American culture. As opposed to being a melding pot, as some mistakenly call the US, it's really just a pastiche of various cultures with no meta-culture or dominant prevailing culture of any kind. In that way, it's impossible to say what the differences are between Canada and the US, since there is nothing to compare.

True...there never was any such "melting pot", with the most modern analogy being a "tossed salad" with many different elements, including spilled blood. Nevertheless, this has not stopped some Canadians from commonly defining their identity in some sort of monolithic "not American" term(s).

[cybercoma]

Nope. Sorry, bush. There's no such thing as Canadian culture, despite some Americans trying desperately to define one.

Edited June 24, 2013 by cybercoma

[bush_cheney2004]

Nope. Sorry, bush. There's no such thing as Canadian culture, despite some Americans trying desperately to define one.

We violently agree...as Canadian culture and identity cannot be defined in American terms. This does not stop some Canadians from doing so.

[cybercoma]

We violently agree...as Canadian culture and identity cannot be defined in American terms. This does not stop some Canadians from doing so.

I'm not sure what you're saying. Canadian culture and identity can't be defined at all. There isn't one. You keep trying to tell me that it's "not American," but that would be an identity. I don't understand your point.

[Moonlight Graham]

I've learned from this thread that there's no such thing as American culture. As opposed to being a melding pot, as some mistakenly call the US, it's really just a pastiche of various cultures with no meta-culture or dominant prevailing culture of any kind. In that way, it's impossible to say what the differences are between Canada and the US, since there is nothing to compare.

Following this logic, 2 different Canadian cities on opposite ends of the country don't have different cultures because cities are really "just a pastiche of various cultures". Same with Provinces. Same with individual neighbourhoods. Or Western culture vs South Asian culture.

Go travel every state in the US and then every state inside India and tell me if you notice any differing cultural trends.

[bush_cheney2004]

I'm not sure what you're saying. Canadian culture and identity can't be defined at all. There isn't one. You keep trying to tell me that it's "not American," but that would be an identity. I don't understand your point.

It's not my original idea at all, as I have a body of Canadian authored work that reflects this very point of view. It goes back many decades.

"Americans are benevolently ignorant about Canada, whereas Canadians are malevolently informed about the United States." - Merrill Denison

[cybercoma]

Following this logic, 2 different Canadian cities on opposite ends of the country don't have different cultures because cities are really "just a pastiche of various cultures". Same with Provinces. Same with individual neighbourhoods. Or Western culture vs South Asian culture.

Go travel every state in the US and then every state inside India and tell me if you notice any differing cultural trends.

Nope. I don't have to travel. I've learned from this thread that there's no such thing as culture.

[GostHacked]

I've learned from this thread that there's no such thing as American culture. As opposed to being a melding pot, as some mistakenly call the US, it's really just a pastiche of various cultures with no meta-culture or dominant prevailing culture of any kind. In that way, it's impossible to say what the differences are between Canada and the US, since there is nothing to compare.

We have our own plethora of sub-cultures as well making the comparison even more difficult. Oh well.

[cybercoma]

We have our own plethora of sub-cultures as well making the comparison even more difficult. Oh well.

Nope. Sub-cultures don't exist either because everyone has free will to act and behave as they choose.

[Argus]

I'm not sure what you're saying. Canadian culture and identity can't be defined at all. There isn't one. You keep trying to tell me that it's "not American," but that would be an identity. I don't understand your point.

Just because you or some others don't understand it does not mean it doesn't exist.

Edited June 24, 2013 by Argus