Are country folk a generation behind the townies?

Cianos

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

Behind?

I would think, from the neighbourly way most country people treat each other, compared to the Hobbesian conditions people experience in cities, that people who move into urban areas actually regress back down the scale of social evolution.

.

That really depends on infrastructure and a bunch of other factors that can contribute to either a good or a bad experience. Saying higher density = worse social experience is too simplistic.

lightening

lightening wrote: »

The unbelievable fear and loathing of the cities that people know nothing about

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

Hobbesian conditions people experience in cities

Point proven.

lightening

lightening wrote: »

unwelcoming to "blow ins"

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

people who move into urban areas actually regress back down the scale of social evolution.

Point proven. (thanks dude)

ChocolateSauce

That urban centres are more liberal and progressive than rural areas is an almost universal trend, and I've always put it down to ideas: In cities, there are more people, thus more ideas and points of view being exchanged, and because in my humble opinion a liberal stance is almost always better than a conservative one, over time liberal ideas win out and become the norm. This happens more slowly in the country, and often due to a trickle down effect from the cities.

This has nothing to do with community though, and I think a better sense of community in the cities would be a good thing..

Mossy Monk

The OP has described me to a tee. You forgot the banjo though.

mikom

lightening wrote: »

Rural living isn't what it used to be in some areas.

This is what some people might see of 09 rural living.

The unbelievable fear and loathing of the cities that people know nothing about. The littering from cars windows, the lucazade, the begrudgery, the keeping up with the Jones's, they have a ride on mower, we must have one too, massive massive horrible houses with eight bathrooms and five bedrooms. The denial of thousands of suicides, the awful depression young people live with, the secrecy (tell no-one), the animal cruelty (ah, sure he's old), rules of the road ignorance, drunk and rude driving, TDI's, TDI's and TDI's and the fabled GTTDI's! Farmers constant moaning, polluted rivers from farmers and overflowing septic tanks, killing each other on the roads, insular attitudes, unwelcoming to "blow ins", obsession with land, family feuds, obsession with living "in the country", but never getting out "in the country". Burn outs and doughnuts, shooting crows from the car window... Drive, never ever walk anywhere. Some would say cities are the new sanctuary, more wildlife, more community (in some areas), more life.

Sounds like a good episode of Hardy bucks.

EdgarAllenPoo

The short answer is YES, the slightly longer answer is that the country people who hung onto their parents morals and ideals are slightly behind the city folk. I've a friend who's parents A-won't let her boyfriend sleep in the same room as her when he stays over,B-would frown on the idea of sex before marriage and C-try to set her up with people they think are suitable for her. Maybe that's not necessarily because they're from the country maybe it's just them being old fashioned but I also know country people that think all german shepherds are viscious sheep killing savages just because that's how they and all the people around them have always perceived that breed of dog.

There is no dog

Perhaps the answer lies in the original post and therefore the hopelessly out-dated rational behind such a musing..

Paddo81

GDM wrote: »

The short answer is YES, the slightly longer answer is that the country people who hung onto their parents morals and ideals are slightly behind the city folk. I've a friend who's parents A-won't let her boyfriend sleep in the same room as her when he stays over,B-would frown on the idea of sex before marriage and C-try to set her up with people they think are suitable for her. Maybe that's not necessarily because they're from the country maybe it's just them being old fashioned but I also know country people that think all german shepherds are viscious sheep killing savages just because that's how they and all the people around them have always perceived that breed of dog.

You can argue alot of things with country people but dont argue with em about matters of livestock and domestic pets! You're in for a hammerin if ya do!
In fairness they have a reason for dislikin dogs of a more aggressive nature. If I had thousands invested in a field full of sheep, I wouldnt like the idea of large dog like a german shepard livin beside them. I know the dog could be as quite as a mouse, but they could also be fairly viscious. And when theres that much money at stake, no farmer is goin worry about offending sensibilities!

lightening

Paddo81 wrote: »

You can argue alot of things with country people but dont argue with em about matters of livestock and domestic pets! You're in for a hammerin if ya do!
In fairness they have a reason for dislikin dogs of a more aggressive nature. If I had thousands invested in a field full of sheep, I wouldnt like the idea of large dog like a german shepard livin beside them.

Do you know what German Shepherds were bred for?

irish_bob

rossie1977 wrote: »

its because they are nosey bas*ards thats why, the woman my mother works for does this crap and wants to know all the gossip about everyone, rings up a couple of times a day too :mad:

in fairness , its not just country folk who are nosey , us irish are an incredibly nosey people , anyone who has lived abroad for any real length of time can testify to this , im not saying i dislike the noseyness by the way , its one of the reasons we are so friendly

lightening

Daroxtar wrote: »

And as for more wildlife???? You weren't basing this opinion on a walk through a section of the phoenix park by any chance?

No, thanks for pointing out the fantastic heard of deer in the park, but I live on Dublins Northside closer to the coast, near a game sanctuary 5K from town, we have seals, dolphins, whales, fox's, badgers, otters, squirrels, egrets (lately), multitudes of waders, duck, geese, peregrine falcons, kestrels, buzzards, sparrowhawks, and songbird right near and in the heard of the city. There was a minke whale just off the nose of Howth a few months ago. Here is a shot of a healthy city fox on the beach.

irish_bob

lightening wrote: »

Rural living isn't what it used to be in some areas.

This is what some people might see of 09 rural living.

The unbelievable fear and loathing of the cities that people know nothing about. The littering from cars windows, the lucazade, the begrudgery, the keeping up with the Jones's, they have a ride on mower, we must have one too, massive massive horrible houses with eight bathrooms and five bedrooms. The denial of thousands of suicides, the awful depression young people live with, the secrecy (tell no-one), the animal cruelty (ah, sure he's old), rules of the road ignorance, drunk and rude driving, TDI's, TDI's and TDI's and the fabled GTTDI's! Farmers constant moaning, polluted rivers from farmers and overflowing septic tanks, killing each other on the roads, insular attitudes, unwelcoming to "blow ins", obsession with land, family feuds, obsession with living "in the country", but never getting out "in the country". Burn outs and doughnuts, shooting crows from the car window... Drive, never ever walk anywhere. Some would say cities are the new sanctuary, more wildlife, more community (in some areas), more life.

I don't know where it went wrong, I guess the tiger pushed up competition between people.

Please don't take this as a generalisation of rural living. I have been to plenty of rural havens, where community spirit is abundant. I just think some things are overlooked.

much truth in your post , i especially agree about the littering , its disgusting and shockingly widespread , thing is though , since the invasion of dubs to the country in the past ten years , the level of litter has exploded , used to not having to pay for bin collection , instead many of them fill the boot and drive out some quite country road and dump a weeks worth in some poor sods field or else they just tip it in the ditch

Paddo81

lightening wrote: »

Do you know what German Shepherds were bred for?

When I was a kid, I had a sheep dog. He left home one day and came back 2 days later with his mouth and chest covered in blood. A local farmer arrived and told us afew of his sheep were ripped to pieces and our dog was spotted amongst others in the field. My father shot our dog. Nuff said.

Mrmoe

Life is like a never ending circle. The meer fact that we are behind you means that we are also ahead of you depending upon your point of view.

irish_bob

longshanks wrote: »

the only difference between country folk and townies is this: when the breakfast roll song comes on........

country folk hit the dance floor

townies leave the building

thats it. next time you're at a wedding, 21st, 40th, whatever, if there is a good mix of people there this will be the dividing line

500 miles by the proclaimers is another signature culchie track , meat loaf is very BIG aswell outside the pale and a bit of SMOKEY

lightening

irish_bob wrote: »

since the invasion of dubs to the country in the past ten years , the level of litter has exploded

Please, blaming the Dubliners on your litter? I know a lot of rural born and bred people very well, I have had more rows with them over this, they litter, they burn their rubbish, they dump in rivers. Ever canoe Irelands unchartered waterways? There is a fair bit of silage plastic, dumped (livestock) corpses, cars, black binbags and domestic, agricultural, industrial and white goods rubbish. It's not all from Dubliners, I have been canoeing in fresh and sea water around the country for years, long before Dubliners spread out. At one stage some of Irelands West coastland was a free for all dumping ground for washing machines and the like.

A Neurotic

The only generalisation I'm comfortable with making in the townie/culchie debate is that anyone who uses generalisations in a townie/culchie debate is a bit of a plank.

MmmmmCheese

I think there is a difference between rural and urban people over the age of 30. Younger people are more equal in terms of beliefs i think.

lightening

lightening wrote: »

the animal cruelty

Not only to the dog, but the livestock.

Paddo81 wrote: »

When I was a kid, I had a sheep dog. He left home one day and came back 2 days later with his mouth and chest covered in blood. A local farmer arrived and told us afew of his sheep were ripped to pieces and our dog was spotted amongst others in the field. My father shot our dog. Nuff said.

Paddy, how long ago was this? Was the dog not contained? after all the ad campaigns ran through the seventies and eighties. Maybe he escaped, that can happen. If that is the case it was a horrible accident for your neighbour and yourselves.

Seloth

MmmmmCheese wrote: »

I think there is a difference between rural and urban people over the age of 30. Younger people are more equal in terms of beliefs i think.

Your on the ball there,but a bit over 30,in the middle late 30's

I was doing work at my dads farm the other day and I laughed because I was wearing DC's,expensive ejans and listening to Sum 41 and hollywood undead .So yeah the younger genrations are generally equal.

pinkheels88

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

A centruy more like. Until they top reading the Sunday World, they always will be.

Jeez learn to spell... :pac:

lightening

Seloth wrote: »

So yeah the younger genrations are generally equal.

Yeah, agreed. Maybe the 50 year old rural generation are more like a cities 70 or 80 year old generation, but talking about my g-g-g-genaration, not much of a difference in progression among my rural contemporaries.

Edit.. (off topic) I find 25 to 40 year olds generally more helpful and friendly than my folks generation. Rural and Urban.

In All Fairness

brummytom wrote: »

Erm it's about 31,000 people here according to google

Birmingham's 2 million - that's like half the population of Ireland isn't it?![/quote]

Yep. The shite half.;):P