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October 29, 2006
The Midwestern Backyard Mentality
A coworker of mine shared an interesting observation about the Midwest in the corporate cafeteria last week. He moved to the Midwest from New York and I asked him what it was like adjusting to our lifestyle. He said it wasn't terribly hard but it was moderately difficult adjusting from the "front-porch" neighborhood mentality of the upper-east coast to the "backyard" mentality here in the Midwest
When I asked him what he meant he explained that in the east, in New York, people from the neighborhood always collect out-front on the porches in a common space. As a result, people are always watching the neighborhood--who's coming and going. As a consequence, he told me, people might be more inclined to let their kids run around in the front yard or on the front sidewalk and interact with the other neighbors.
The Midwest on the other hand, he explained, feel more stilted. Suburban streets are clear of foot traffic. Everybody collects privately into their private space in the backyard. The neighbors seldom interact. The neighborhood feels less watched. This, he claimed, made him more reluctant to let his kids run off and explore the neighborhood.
Of course this situation is what programs like National Night Out are trying to remedy but I see his point. There is a cultural difference here. However, I don't think it's always been this way here in the Midwest.
Something happened here. I think it happened sometime in the '90s. I think it was sometime after the abduction and disappearance of Jacob Wetterling but I can't be sure. We just stopped hanging around the front of our houses. I hope this changes.
Posted by jordanh at October 29, 2006 6:26 PM
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