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10-14-2009, 01:15 PM | #21 (permalink) | |
killedmyraindog
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Posts: 11,172
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Quote:
Its for charities, political campaigns, fund raisers, and church groups. Its seen as a venerable event. I still maintain that Americans being defined by consumerable items is flatly wrong.
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10-14-2009, 06:29 PM | #22 (permalink) |
Juicious Maximus III
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Scabb Island
Posts: 6,525
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I think your definition of culture is a bit weird too. In this kind of discussion, I think of culture as basically everything about groups of people which makes them distinct from other groups of people - except biology (though cultural differences may be caused by differences in biology). So it has to do with behaviour, values and so on.
Since you're concerned with capitalism and how it affects culture, couldn't you say that America has a culture of consumerism? You have comparatively more of it than we do, so it is one of the things that add to the distinctness of your culture compared to ours.
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10-14-2009, 06:38 PM | #23 (permalink) | |
killedmyraindog
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Posts: 11,172
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Note that I never brought up our capitalism, or our consumerism, but was responding to the charge directly. I don't think we're defined by conservatism, I think much of this thread is inspired by a hot-topic media charge rather than what actually goes on in the streets and neighborhoods of America.
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10-14-2009, 09:18 PM | #24 (permalink) |
Music Addict
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 78
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if culture is defined as the differences between groups of people, than eventually it will boil down to class. for many decades in this country racism was the big issue regarding culture. if you were black, you do this. white, you do this. mexican, you do this. asian, you do this. however, today with equality enjoying almost unprecedented acceptance, the differences in the way people are living is becoming more dependent on class than any other factor.
sure, people still hold fond memories of other places, my family is mexican and celebrates cinco de mayo, for instance. however, most of the town, including people of other ethnic backgrounds, celebrates as well as more a day of fun and food than of any great cultural importance. however, even in a small town the rich buy anything theyd like, handing out $400 dollar cell phones to 12 year old kids who replace their stolen ipod touch every other week as it is. the poor or middle class, however, can't do this. they place an emphasis on frugality and responsibility, if you lose something, its just gone simple as that. while in a middle class family you may still enjoy many of the same luxuries, they were just that: luxuries. status symbols such as ipods, cell phones, cars, and clothes mean much more to these people, in general. this discrepancy doesnt hold any inherent danger, different people can afford different things its a simple fact of life. however, in my experience this eventually breeds a feeling of superiority over those who are less fortunate. thus the classes become more and more defined, with the rich living lives surrounded by status symbols and endless luxuries, while the middle class lives comfortably if unremarkably and the poor just try to survive. these differences create "cultures" and "subcultures" |
10-15-2009, 12:30 AM | #25 (permalink) | |
Reformed Jackass
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,964
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10-15-2009, 09:14 AM | #26 (permalink) |
killedmyraindog
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Posts: 11,172
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I don't know whether I should laugh or slap you, but I laughed despite myself...and I laughed wicked hard.
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10-15-2009, 11:45 AM | #27 (permalink) | |
afrocentric
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: texas
Posts: 753
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Quote:
texans would totally embrace meat on a stick,.... just sayin
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