Basically Canadian

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I find that this off-colour candour is quite typical of societies where people have mostly lived amongst themselves for a fairly long time with little in terms of diversity influxes. I am aware that Denmark today is reasonably diverse but the time when even in Copenhagen it was mostly just all Danes living with other Danes with only a few straggler outsiders is still easily within living memory.

Cultures that have more of a historic relationship to diversity tend to be more likely to hold back a bit on this front. (Though they can be rambunctious in other ways it's true.)

It could explain why discussing the weather is the great Canadian social opener. In a diverse society, one needs a few extra moments to establish the safe parameters of interaction since everybody experiences weather. Although in this forum, even that can be the source of tensions ....

[Acajack]

I have always found that Australia is an incredibly comfortable fit for me, and am surprised that it hasn't been mentioned by other Canadians here.

Yes, they are more brash and rambunctious than (Anglo-)Canadians but maybe to me even though I was very "anglo" when I first went there in my youth, I still had quite a bit of exposure to the less reserved francophone side of our country back then so the Aussie persona still wasn't particularly jarring to me.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I have always found that Australia is an incredibly comfortable fit for me, and am surprised that it hasn't been mentioned by other Canadians here.

Yes, they are more brash and rambunctious than (Anglo-)Canadians but maybe to me even though I was very "anglo" when I first went there in my youth, I still had quite a bit of exposure to the less reserved francophone side of our country back then so the Aussie persona still wasn't particularly jarring to me.

In my experience, Australians and Canadians are a very comfortable fit, at least when they interact abroad. I've not been to Australia to experience "one among the many".

[esquire]

People in Australia seem a little more colourful and animated than they are here, but that's kind of superficial. For the most part they strike me as having a very Canadian sensibility deep down.

[drew]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I have always found that Australia is an incredibly comfortable fit for me, and am surprised that it hasn't been mentioned by other Canadians here.

Yes, they are more brash and rambunctious than (Anglo-)Canadians but maybe to me even though I was very "anglo" when I first went there in my youth, I still had quite a bit of exposure to the less reserved francophone side of our country back then so the Aussie persona still wasn't particularly jarring to me.

I have spent some time in Australia, and yes the country is very easy as a Canadian to fit into. It feels very familiar.

That being said, I think in terms of "temperament", Canadians are a closer match to Kiwis then Australians. The former being a bit more reserved and the latter... well not.

I didn't spend anytime in NZ, but met many Kiwis in Australia.

NZ is to Australia as Canada is the US. So to me, it seems the personalities line up in a similar fashion.

[mistercorporate]

Originally Posted by drew

I have spent some time in Australia, and yes the country is very easy as a Canadian to fit into. It feels very familiar.

That being said, I think in terms of "temperament", Canadians are a closer match to Kiwis then Australians. The former being a bit more reserved and the latter... well not.

I didn't spend anytime in NZ, but met many Kiwis in Australia.

NZ is to Australia as Canada is the US. So to me, it seems the personalities line up in a similar fashion.

Yeah, Australians are very English in terms of temperament. Canadians are more like New Zealanders.

That being said, I have a really hard time relating to this thread. I'm quite socially confident so even in stereotypically conservative societies, I've found it really easy to interact with people. I feel like things like reservedness only lasts for the first few minutes of a conversation at most, and people open up quite easily after that. The difference between an uptight society and a "socially open" society is how long they take to warm up...in the end most people are truly warm if you make a sincere attempt to connect with them and aren't uptight yourself.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by mistercorporate

Yeah, Australians are very English in terms of temperament. Canadians are more like New Zealanders.
.

While they're not identical to our neighbours to the south and still retain some British traits, I'd say Aussies are generally more like Americans in terms of temperament.

[drew]

Back when I was in Australia, I happened to wear one of those ubiquitous "I am Canadian" Molson t-shirts one day at work. I think I was feeling a bit "rah rah" (it was during the Sydney games).

One of the guys looked at me, and pointed at the shirt and said - "is that in case you get lost?".

It's one of those moments that you don't realize how silly something is/looks until someone from maybe a different perspective points it out.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Acajack

While they're not identical to our neighbours to the south and still retain some British traits, I'd say Aussies are generally more like Americans in terms of temperament.

Australians are mainly working class English, a significant influence historically in Canada but not nearly so strong here as Down Under. New Zealand, like Canada, is culturally much more heavily Scottish than Australia (or the U.S.) is, accounting for the temperamental difference and the particular ease with which Canucks and Kiwis get along.

[mistercorporate]

Originally Posted by Andy6

Australians are mainly working class English, a significant influence historically in Canada but not nearly so strong here as Down Under. New Zealand, like Canada, is culturally much more heavily Scottish than Australia (or the U.S.) is, accounting for the temperamental difference and the particular ease with which Canucks and Kiwis get along.

Yep, now that you mention it, Canada feels very much like Scotland! And Ozzies are definitely like working class English.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by mistercorporate

Yep, now that you mention it, Canada feels very much like Scotland! And Ozzies are definitely like working class English.

If that were true, it would certainly explain the divisions within anglophone Canada (us having an insignificant amount of Scottish immigration/influence, for example).

But Glasgow and Edinburgh don't feel Canadian at all to me. They're probably more animated and passionate in their speaking than us, or the Irish. Very warm, very drunk, very violent. There's a raw passion there that's very evident.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

If that were true, it would certainly explain the divisions within anglophone Canada (us having an insignificant amount of Scottish immigration/influence, for example).

But Glasgow and Edinburgh don't feel Canadian at all to me. They're probably more animated and passionate in their speaking than us, or the Irish. Very warm, very drunk, very violent. There's a raw passion there that's very evident.

We avoided immigrants from the drunken working classes. Canadian Scots are massively skewed to northeastern and Highland/Hebridean origin compared to today’s Scottish Scots.

I would also contest the claim that reserved and upwardly mobile middle class Edinburgh displays “raw passion” or is “violent” in the least.

[mistercorporate]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

If that were true, it would certainly explain the divisions within anglophone Canada (us having an insignificant amount of Scottish immigration/influence, for example).

But Glasgow and Edinburgh don't feel Canadian at all to me. They're probably more animated and passionate in their speaking than us, or the Irish. Very warm, very drunk, very violent. There's a raw passion there that's very evident.

I can't speak of historical Scots, but most modern day Scottish are warm, empathetic and yes, drunk people lol... Edinburgh is more of a tourist town with lots of "come from aways", but Glasgow is pure working class Scottish (with the associated uncouth element). Small town Scottish like the people in Aberdeen, are practically indistinguishable culturally from small town Ontario. Toronto is it's own beast, but even it is changing to a friendlier and more laid back place as increasingly more and more young people from across Ontario come here to make a go of it and the big immigration surge from the 90's is now integrated and settled in.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by mistercorporate

Yep, now that you mention it, Canada feels very much like Scotland! And Ozzies are definitely like working class English.

I seem to recall someone (Robertson Davies?) putting forward the idea many years ago that Canada was the world's most Scottish country, Scotland itself being dominated by the English. While the rise of Scots nationalism and Canadian mulitculturalism have probably put paid to the theory, if it ever had any validity, the influence on the national psyche is still apparent.

Although I have an unavoidable bias ...

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Andy6

We avoided immigrants from the drunken working classes. Canadian Scots are massively skewed to northeastern and Highland/Hebridean origin compared to today’s Scottish Scots.

I would also contest the claim that reserved and upwardly mobile middle class Edinburgh displays “raw passion” or is “violent” in the least.

You're right - I didn't think that one through. Edinburgh is very different than Glasgow, certainly. I still wouldn't say it feels Canadian. But maybe it does for others? I don't think its far-fetched to say you and I would feel a completely different level of familiarity when in Dublin or, certainly moreso, the southeast of Ireland. And you'd have no real understanding of what I was feeling when I felt I recognized people's faces, knew all the surnames, heard people say "sure" and our form of past tense. Edinburgh could be that strong or even more strongly familiar to you and I'd have no way to experience it.

[Pinus]

Originally Posted by Andy6

Australians are mainly working class English, a significant influence historically in Canada but not nearly so strong here as Down Under. New Zealand, like Canada, is culturally much more heavily Scottish than Australia (or the U.S.) is, accounting for the temperamental difference and the particular ease with which Canucks and Kiwis get along.

I can say that as someone who has lived down under, the minset of Canucks, Aussies and Kiwis are very similar, although yes Aussies are a bit more brash in nature whilst Canucks ans Kiwis are more lower key. Definately more similar overall than compared to the US. And they are far more welocming to us than they are to Yanks, generally speaking. And that is definately due to a shared Commonwealth ancestory and history, which for one I have become extremely greatful for, and a big reason why I am a promoter of CANZUK.

[Acajack]

Just thinking of the origins of Anglo-Canada, Anglo-Australia and the Anglo-United States...

Both Australia and the U.S. have their origins as places where people from the British Isles went to places new trails, open up a new country, etc.

The origins of Anglo-Canada are more administrative in nature, it seems to me.

Even though of course there was no shortage of trail blazing in Canada, and of course quite a bit of administration in Oz and the U.S.

But the "founding purposes" of Oz-US and Anglo-Canada seem a bit different.

Not sure where NZ fits into all of this, BTW.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Pinus

I can say that as someone who has lived down under, the minset of Canucks, Aussies and Kiwis are very similar, although yes Aussies are a bit more brash in nature whilst Canucks ans Kiwis are more lower key. Definately more similar overall than compared to the US. And they are far more welocming to us than they are to Yanks, generally speaking. And that is definately due to a shared Commonwealth ancestory and history, which for one I have become extremely greatful for, and a big reason why I am a promoter of CANZUK.

Every time I went to an academic conference, back when I still did that, the Commonwealth people automatically hung around together and the Americans were the outsiders, always a bit confused to encounter people who spoke English but weren’t especially informed about American cultural touchstones. They seemed particularly confused by our national relationships with one another - as though it hadn’t previously occurred to them that there is such a thing as an international relationship that doesn’t have the USA at one end.

[Andy6]

On my old blog, I once wrote a “Canada’s Greatest Englishman” post where I asked who Canada’s most important ethnically English historical figures were. For Scots or French-Canadians, you could rhyme off names until the cows came home, but for the English it’s actually surprisingly hard.

[kool maudit]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I find that this off-colour candour is quite typical of societies where people have mostly lived amongst themselves for a fairly long time with little in terms of diversity influxes. I am aware that Denmark today is reasonably diverse but the time when even in Copenhagen it was mostly just all Danes living with other Danes with only a few straggler outsiders is still easily within living memory.

Cultures that have more of a historic relationship to diversity tend to be more likely to hold back a bit on this front. (Though they can be rambunctious in other ways it's true.)

This makes sense, and it explains why it doesn't come across when interacting with Danes in English nearly as much.