From what I've seen, rural people rarely go away for vacations. If they do, it is a place that is very similar to their safe circle and relatively close to home. The notion of exploring another part of the world or country doesn't cross their mind. The cross culture in a city tends to expand your world vision and the desire/knowledge to …
From what I've seen, rural people rarely go away for vacations. If they do, it is a place that is very similar to their safe circle and relatively close to home. The notion of exploring another part of the world or country doesn't cross their mind. The cross culture in a city tends to expand your world vision and the desire/knowledge to make that trip happen. I live with someone (not my wisest life choice) that is the epitome of this rural mindset and it would absolutely never cross his mind to go to another country nor does he have the desire. Whereas, my overseas trips have broadened my life and viewpoints. I want to travel and explore more when safe!
I think it is not helpful to create a black and white dichotomy between rural and urban people. I live in both places and it is not true that rural people do not travel and are not curious. We need to look to the way policies of both parties have disenfranchised large swaths of our population, who are angry and who do not believe that mainstream politics has any interest in making their lives better. If we fail to consider the reality of this, we will see more extremism and not just from rural areas.
When there was a military draft, conscription often took isolated people to new places and experiences. A cousin who is a red-state rancher served a couple of years in Germany, but otherwise has rarely left his state; now he rarely leaves the ranch. It's just one example, but it illustrates how sojourning, forced or not, can broaden horizons. Also consider the many servicemen who found spouses in Vietnam, Philippines, Japan, etc.
The demise of the conscription army in France and its civilizing influence on street gang members has had a disasterous effect on agressive incivility on the steets for the whole population.
France was the biggest tourist destination in the world, but the French are the people in Europe who travel the least outside their own national boundaries.
If you look at cities like New York, i'm not sure that residents of Harlem or the Bronx have the same propensity for international travel as Manhattan...or of nearby nice, wealthy NJ or Pa leafy townships for that matter. A mixed bag of course and as always when you take averages in statistics you lose a little of the truth.
Way back in the last millennium I spent a semester in Rodez, and still feel great affection for France. It's perhaps the most geographically and climatically diverse European nation, offering a range of experiences within one country. The same is even more true here. Americans can travel extensively, see a variety of places (but not people) without ever crossing international borders. "Travel broadens the mind," but not all travel has that effect.
From what I've seen, rural people rarely go away for vacations. If they do, it is a place that is very similar to their safe circle and relatively close to home. The notion of exploring another part of the world or country doesn't cross their mind. The cross culture in a city tends to expand your world vision and the desire/knowledge to make that trip happen. I live with someone (not my wisest life choice) that is the epitome of this rural mindset and it would absolutely never cross his mind to go to another country nor does he have the desire. Whereas, my overseas trips have broadened my life and viewpoints. I want to travel and explore more when safe!
I think it is not helpful to create a black and white dichotomy between rural and urban people. I live in both places and it is not true that rural people do not travel and are not curious. We need to look to the way policies of both parties have disenfranchised large swaths of our population, who are angry and who do not believe that mainstream politics has any interest in making their lives better. If we fail to consider the reality of this, we will see more extremism and not just from rural areas.
When there was a military draft, conscription often took isolated people to new places and experiences. A cousin who is a red-state rancher served a couple of years in Germany, but otherwise has rarely left his state; now he rarely leaves the ranch. It's just one example, but it illustrates how sojourning, forced or not, can broaden horizons. Also consider the many servicemen who found spouses in Vietnam, Philippines, Japan, etc.
The demise of the conscription army in France and its civilizing influence on street gang members has had a disasterous effect on agressive incivility on the steets for the whole population.
France was the biggest tourist destination in the world, but the French are the people in Europe who travel the least outside their own national boundaries.
If you look at cities like New York, i'm not sure that residents of Harlem or the Bronx have the same propensity for international travel as Manhattan...or of nearby nice, wealthy NJ or Pa leafy townships for that matter. A mixed bag of course and as always when you take averages in statistics you lose a little of the truth.
Way back in the last millennium I spent a semester in Rodez, and still feel great affection for France. It's perhaps the most geographically and climatically diverse European nation, offering a range of experiences within one country. The same is even more true here. Americans can travel extensively, see a variety of places (but not people) without ever crossing international borders. "Travel broadens the mind," but not all travel has that effect.
Very valid points!