Last night, I was listening to To The Best of Our Knowledge, about the only radio program I make an effort to catch every week. (Airs at 10 p.m. every Sunday on the MPR news stations.)
In a program called Blame Canada?, they interviewed an individual named Michael Adams. Adams wrote a book exploring the growing cultural divide between the US and Canada. While many of us made comments about moving to Canada following the election, I was surprised as I listened at how much more I found myself falling in line with the Canadian view of things than the American. Maybe all the hockey I’ve watched the past few years is having an effect?
Adams founded Environics Research Group, a Canadian research firm. His book is based in large part on surveys that organization has conducted. There are two on-line surveys at the site that are interesting. Fire and Ice appears to be a shorter version of the type of survey Adams used in writing the book. It explores various values and places you on a comparative grid, although one that is not broken down as American or Canadian views (I think because Adams admits these are generalities). The 3SC Survey looks at social values and places you in one of 12 tribes. (For what it’s worth, I was in the Autonomous Rebels tribe).
I will probably pick up the book to learn more but would certainly recommend listening to the audio (Real Audio format) of the TTBOOK program and a visit to the Environics surveys.
