norms of behaviour in small towns?

Question

i have lived in both a major city and i am from a small town.i have noticed differences in the behaviour of people in both places.what norms are likely to happen in small towns example there is more intimacy and gossip. tendency to be more religious etc.opinions?

Answer 1

My husband and I are mostly nomadic, so we have gone from small town to big city several times. We both grew up in a small town.

No town is exactly alike, but there seem to be a few defining characteristics of a person in a small town.

The primary thing that I have noticed is a genuine interest in those within the town (stranger or inhabitant). Whether out of kindness, boredom, or safety for the rest of the town-- leave that to the individual. This may give rise to personal conversations,aid, or advice.

The second thing is shameless individuality. Most small-towners are "happy with the way things are," and this goes for their personality, style, and religion. Soul-searching isn't on the menu because they are already proud of who they are and what they believe in!

Answer 2

It really depends on the small town.

The most common, perhaps universal, is that everyone knows everyone else (which happens in sub-groups in cities, too).

So yes, when anything happens to anyone, everyone knows about it.

But as for religious, it would really depend on where and who lives there.

Small towns that have heavy populations of people from elsewhere (in, for instance, Mendocino County in northern California -- where you have groupings of artistic types, for example) aren't necessarily going to be heavy on the religion.

People tend to be more chatty, and everything takes longer. When you go to the store, you run into people you know much more often than in the city, and, with a slower pace -- the other possibly universal feature -- you stop and talk to this one, then that one.

Buying 4 things at the store easily takes an hour, when you stop and talk to 5 or 6 people.

Different small towns have their somewhat different cultures. Sometimes they have their own traditions.

In Point Arena, July FIFTH is a big deal, because the town buys fireworks cheap the day after the 4th, and puts on a bigger display than they could on the 4th.

Answer 3

I grew up in a city and have now lived in a small town for 17 years. Because of the close proximity, I think in a small town things are magnified. Gossip is a way of life where I live. I have seen it do lots of harm when it gets distorted. I have used it for my own amusement by starting a rumor about myself and seeing how it changes as it makes the rounds. A positive and negative about living in a small town is that people literally look out for one another. This can be comforting and oppressing. I love that I can walk down the street and people driving or walking by wave. People say "hi" to each other. That doesn't happen in a city. A negative about living in a small town is also that people becomes insulated and fear "outsiders" and change. Everyone also knows your phone number and where you live. Because there is less competition, in a small town you are at the mercy of flaky business owners and have less selection of goods. The good thing about a small town is that when you are short a dollar the restaurant or storekeeper knows you and knows you are good for it next time. Volunteerism keeps our town going and that is a definite positive.

Answer 4

A have noticed a few differences just in everyday occurences both in small towns and in the city. In the city, I go to the grocery and everyone does their own thing. In a small town, you have to say hello to every single person who walks by or they give you this look like you're arrogant or something. Another huge difference is in change. I have found that people in the city are more open to change than poeple who live in a small town. What creates these differences is the ammount of people and places. People in a small town go more indepth with things they know and understand, while people who live in the city are constantly in search of something new and different because there is much more to explore. Both have postitives and negatives.

Answer 5

I live in a small town and in my opinion small towns have a lot more gosip. Everyone knows everyone so everyone knows your buisness. When i was a kid i hated it because if i did something wrong i couldn't get away with it because someone would tell them. Now that i have my own kids i really like it because I can trust my kids with people because i know them or their parents.

When i was at college in a bigger town i didn't feel like i knew anyone. If i saw someone in a store i knew it was amazing because most of the time i had no idea who they were.

Both big cities and small towns have their pros and cons it is just dealing with the cons that is the fun part.

Answer 6

I lived in NYC for a number of years and now I live in a small town in Iowa. One thing I really like about it is that everyone says hello or good morning when they pass you on the sidewalk.

Answer 7

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