Minnesota Nice - Social Norms

Social Norms

Playwright and corporate communications consultant Syl Jones suggested that Minnesota nice is not entirely about being "nice" but is more about keeping up appearances, maintaining the social order, and keeping people in their place. He relates these social norms to the literary work of Danish-Norwegian novelist, Aksel Sandemose, Jante Law, and more generally, Scandinavian culture. Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion discusses "Wobegonics", the supposed language of Minnesotans which includes "no confrontational verbs or statements of strong personal preference".

Scandinavia is a "low context culture" whereas Minnesota nice is characteristic of a high context culture. Presumably, the immigrants from Norway and Sweden adapted their low context Jante Law to the seemingly similar but very different Southern United States high context polite society, forming the unique Midwest culture amongst Western cultures that is called "Minnesota Nice." The integration of Jute Law and Polite Society, epitomized by the rules of a Southern belle, likely occurred when the cultures meet and merged during the pre-American Civil War migration of pro-slavery southern farmers north into the midwest territory (for example, documented in the well known Bleeding Kansas conflict).

Read more about this topic:  Minnesota Nice

Famous quotes containing the words social and/or norms:

    Becoming more flexible, open-minded, having a capacity to deal with change is a good thing. But it is far from the whole story. Grandparents, in the absence of the social institutions that once demanded civilized behavior, have their work cut out for them. Our grandchildren are hungry for our love and approval, but also for standards being set.
    Eda Le Shan (20th century)

    There must be a profound recognition that parents are the first teachers and that education begins before formal schooling and is deeply rooted in the values, traditions, and norms of family and culture.
    Sara Lawrence Lightfoot (20th century)