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#1
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Canada question
Canadians and Americans are fundamentally different animals A new book by Michael Adams, head of the communications and research company Environics, entitled Fire and Ice, The United States, Canada and the Myth of Converging Values, is an important reference for prime minister-in- waiting Paul Martin, who seems to be tilting more towards Washington than may be advisable. The myth is that the only thing separating Canadians and Americans is a border and a temperamental PM who gets his jollies by aggravating Washington. This is the view of those who would even further grease the wheels of finance by erasing the final vestiges of a border left by NAFTA. For instance, Perrin Beatty, former Mulroney cabinet minister and currently president and CEO of the association of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, delivered this message to a 'beyond NAFTA' conference in Washington in 2001: While the Canadian nation was born of forces oppositional to the United States, maintaining a real identify separate from the United States has been in vain. He writes: "Despite government efforts, geography, culture, technology and trade draw Canada towards the United States. Canadian writers may nurture a romantic vision of a northern people with unique values and experiences contrasting with those of their American neighbours, but globalization in Canada wears a distinctly American face." Well, Michael Adams is here to prove Mr. Beatty wrong. Through a decade of rigorous social science research in both Canada and the U.S., Mr. Adams reveals a dramatic divergence in values between the two countries which is growing, not diminishing. In fact, Mr. Adams would rewrite Mr. Beatty's quote to read, "Despite geography, culture, technology and trade, globalization in Canada wears a distinctly Canadian face." Polling data from thousands of Americans in 1992, 1996 and 2000 were used to construct what Adams calls a 'socio-cultural map' which is really a square divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant represents a set of values held by Americans as revealed in the data. Onto each quadrant were plotted the numbers of Americans and Canadians polled who exhibited those values in each of the three polling years (note these data are pre-9/11/01). What is revealed is a shift in dominant social values in both countries, but in polar opposite directions. In 1992, 24 per cent of Americans were in the most conservative quadrant, Status and Security, having a high regard for both personal status (I'm in, you're out) and authority (deference to church and state), and being resistant to change. Only slightly more, 26 per cent, were in the quadrant, Idealism and Autonomy. These hold the most broad-minded and least self-centred values, including questioning of authority, tolerance, acceptance of diversity, spirituality and quality of life, ecological concern, global consciousness, egalitarianism, flexibility, acceptance of change, and inclusiveness. Only 16 per cent were in the Exclusion and Intensity quadrant, the most socially disconnected group. The dominant values are aimlessness, alienation, fatalism, escapism, acceptance of violence, penchant for risk and intensity, civic apathy, everyday rage, sexism, sexual permissiveness and xenophobia (have a deep dislike of foreigners). They are resigned to living in a competitive jungle dominated by ostentatious consumption, financial security, and personal thrills. They will break the rules to get ahead, have little concern for the environment or for others, and approve of more power for business. In 1992, the greatest proportion of Americans, 34 per cent, were in the Authenticity and Responsibility quadrant, holding a traditional world view shaped by religion, national pride and communal responsibility. They value quality of life over social status (unlike the status quo conservatives), social responsibility, civic duty, healthy lifestyles, personal fulfillment, ethics and strong family ties. They are not xenophobic yet they support cultural assimilation, and they don't like complexity in their lives. By 2000, only 26 per cent of Americans held this traditional world view. Down also, from 26 to 22 per cent, was the proportion of Americans in the Idealism and Autonomy quadrant. The arch-conservatives moved from 24 to 21 per cent. The only upward trend, and it is dramatic, is in the cynical, fatalistic Exclusion and Intensity quadrant. The greatest proportion of Americans - 31 per cent, an increase of 15 percent - are now here. Make way, Norman Rockwell, hippies and the country club set, for Blade Runner. Canadians, thankfully, are on a different values trajectory. In the same time period, the status quo conservatives have dropped from 15 to 11 per cent, the Norman Rockwellians from 26 to 24 per cent, and the cynical survivalists from 18 to 17 per cent. The increase has been in the Idealism and Autonomy quadrant, from 41 per cent in 1992 to 49 per cent in 2000. Mr. Adams puts the run to the myth that our two countries are converging into the 21st century. In fact, the gap in world view between our two countries is growing ever deeper and wider. While Americans are becoming more cynical and self-obsessed, Canadians are optimistically opening up to the world and their role in it. This trend holds across all generations. Young Canadians (ages 15-29) are equally distant from their American counterparts as their parents. So the next time someone says we might as well sign up as the 51st state, point them to Michael Adams' Fire and Ice. Canadians are Canadians and Americans are Americans, and if the trends in social values hold, never the twain shall meet. -- Posted via http://britishexpats.com |
#2
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Canada question
Sounds wonderfully vague, wonderfully negative towards Americans, and of
course wonderfully happy about Canadians. Why am I not surprised? Nex (yawn) |
#3
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Canada question
On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 02:25:34 +0000 (UTC), Alan Pollock
wrote: Sounds wonderfully vague Why am I not surprised? Nex (yawn) AP....Pot calling Kettle black???? You of cosmic replies! :-) |
#4
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Canada question
TallNV a@z wrote:
On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 02:25:34 +0000 (UTC), Alan Pollock wrote: Sounds wonderfully vague Why am I not surprised? Nex (yawn) AP....Pot calling Kettle black???? You of cosmic replies! :-) I just wish I had your talent for saying nothing. Nex |
#5
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Canada question
On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 05:39:03 +0000 (UTC), Alan Pollock
wrote: I just wish I had your talent for saying nothing. Nex Why thank you!. Nox |
#6
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Canada question
TallNV a@z wrote:
On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 05:39:03 +0000 (UTC), Alan Pollock wrote: I just wish I had your talent for saying nothing. Nex Why thank you!. Nox As you know, I spread nothing but happiness and joy. So it's a pleasure. Nex |
#7
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Canada question
In article , Alan Pollock
wrote: Sounds wonderfully vague, wonderfully negative towards Americans, and of course wonderfully happy about Canadians. Why am I not surprised? Nex (yawn) This guy had to do all this research to prove that Americans and Canadians are different? He could have just asked me. I would have told him "Yes" and that would have been an end of it. Saved him a lot of money, too. Of course, I wouldn't have included the stuff about how all Canadian values are by definition better than all American values, but hey. -- Trudi |
#8
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Canada question
Trudi Marrapodi wrote:
In article , Alan Pollock wrote: Sounds wonderfully vague, wonderfully negative towards Americans, and of course wonderfully happy about Canadians. Why am I not surprised? Nex (yawn) This guy had to do all this research to prove that Americans and Canadians are different? He could have just asked me. I would have told him "Yes" and that would have been an end of it. Saved him a lot of money, too. Of course, I wouldn't have included the stuff about how all Canadian values are by definition better than all American values, but hey. Excellent conclusion, which I totally agree with. Nex |
#9
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Canada question
This guy had to do all this research to prove that Americans and Canadians are different? He could have just asked me. I would have told him "Yes" and that would have been an end of it. Saved him a lot of money, too. Which reminds me of a funny recent incident. I was in Labrador waiting for a ferry, when a fellow with a very heavy Southern drawl (Alabama...maybe Mississippi...) said in all seriousness that he felt the only difference between the US and Canada was that you can't get biscuits and gravy in the McDonald's in Canada. "Apart from that", he said, "everything else is pretty much the same". Oooookay. Bob -- Travel and Astonomy Photos http://www3.sympatico.ca/bomo |
#10
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Canada question
Bob wrote:
This guy had to do all this research to prove that Americans and Canadians are different? He could have just asked me. I would have told him "Yes" and that would have been an end of it. Saved him a lot of money, too. Which reminds me of a funny recent incident. I was in Labrador waiting for a ferry, when a fellow with a very heavy Southern drawl (Alabama...maybe Mississippi...) said in all seriousness that he felt the only difference between the US and Canada was that you can't get biscuits and gravy in the McDonald's in Canada. "Apart from that", he said, "everything else is pretty much the same". Oooookay. Bob Often Euros will tell me that they see little difference between the two countries, being used to such radical differences as they are. So perhaps the joke is an interesting point of departure. Is there a North American culture that's eluding notice? Nex |
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