New England Online > Culture & Society
Culture & Society
New England is a modern, highly technological and learned society. It's people are generally known as being open, friendly and polite. New Englanders believe in a sense of community that should encompass all those around us, an although this is a difficult goal, most policy is centred around this central social norm.
New Englanders have a strong sense of right and wrong and belief that with responsibility come consequences. They also hold dear the belief that when someone is down, it is the role of society, and through it the state, to help out and get people back on their feet.
Culture
The culture of New England is a typical of a modern european style western nation. Typically, many younger people tend to indulge in the latest trends, although marketing is more organic and not in your face. There is a strong counter-culture scene which rejects populism, and yet suffers little ridicule for it. New England is a nation of individuals, with differing tastes and ambitions, and it's people do not make a habit judging others because of their life.
New Englanders have a strong emphasis on western style culture, although asian and african influences can be seen in some areas. New England's cultural protection laws have allowed a large local entertainment industry to survive and export its talent overseas. Imported cultural trends also thrive and are enjoyed by almost all adults to a lesser or greater extent.
Architecture & Design - Various architectural styles have been used in New England since 1821. Across the country buildings in colonial, victorian, edwardian, art-deco, post-war, natural, McManshion, Californian revival, michaelian and neo-priaire have been designed and constructed. There has also been a high number of New Englanders willing to become architects, which with their unique style makes them in high demand. The primary emphasis on design in New England focuses on aesthetics, with older buildings being preserved and copied in newer constructions
Creative Arts - New England is a culture that embraces painting, sculpture and craft work with great gusto. There is strong demand for locally made arts and crafts, as well as paintings and sculptures. It is a point of pride for many people to fill their homes with beautiful pieces of art that will be handed down from generation to generation. Another side to this is the love of wood. New Englanders love well made wooden furnishing, beds, cupboards and home wares.
Cuisine - Typical of many western nations, New England's cuisine consists of a cosmopolitan variety of eastern and western foods. New Englanders take three main meals, plus two additional smaller breaks on a daily basis. Traditional foods in New England include wholemeal cereals, dairy, red meat, temperate fruit and vegetables. Unlike much of the west, fast food has largly vanished in New England.
Festivals & Events - A large number of cultural events take place throughout the year. Many are agricultural in their focus, with the largest being the Royal National Exhibition held every March. The most popular performing arts event is the Armidale Festival, which is held every February. There are also sporting, recreational and floral festivals held throughout the year.
Film - Based in Coffs Harbour, New England's small film industry has produced a number of hits over the years. A vibrant community of actors has been able to export their talents overseas, bringing with them a reputation for hard work and great acting skills wherever they go. Some of the best actors include Lucy Bordon, Kym Massey, Ryan Paterson and Robbie Youngsmith. Locally, the annual Clarkson Film Awards honour the best actors, directors and films of New England every year.
Music - Popular music from Australia, Europe and the United States is enjoyed by almost all the community. Locally, there have been artists who have had top ten tracks in the US and Europe. Popular music artists usually perform in pubs and clubs, and for big shows will often hire out sporting stadiums for live shows. Pop-punk is especially popular amongst younger listeners and those with a more "alternative" perspective on the world. Classical music is also respected and enjoyed, with many New Englanders attending performances by the Armidale Philharmonic and the Armidale Symphony Orchestras.
Literature - New England has a prolific culture of writing, and is home to novelists Dame Karen Eden, John Houston and Doug Lindsey. New England's most famous poet is Sir Paul O'Keefe. The national education curriculum encourages reading and creative writing, which has spawned a large number of writers, journalists and editors. Indeed in recent years, publishing houses in Europe have been keen to recruit New Englanders as they have some of the best writing skills in the English speaking world. There is also a small, but vibrant film script writing community that enjoys high demand abroad.
The Media - Journalism is still held in high regard, having rescued it's image after the Civil War. There is one national newspaper, the New Englander which is a daily broadsheet. Most towns have a daily paper as well. Tabloids of the British and Australian sort do not exist and neither do women's magazines with celebrity gossip. New England also has a significant television industry, with the principal producer being Radio Television New England, a state owned and funded organisation that carries a number of services to different parts of the community. The private sector is also strong, with most of the major centres having at least two commercial television and radio networks.
Natural Culture - New Englanders are great lovers of the natural environment. They have built a large number of open parks, gardens and wildlife parks to view, study and conserve the natural environment of the land they live in. The network of government funded gardens and zoos operate all over the country, allowing New Englanders to see exotic and rare species of flora and fauna and to also raise awareness about the delicate habitats in which these species reside.
Performing Arts - Theatre is one of the most popular audience genres in New England, ranking after sport and live music. Based in every major centre, a number actors, dancers, circus performers and can be found playing in the many theatres, dance halls and club houses every night. People value the intimacy of live performance, and most people will attend at least one live performance a month. After plays, musicals and circuses are the most popular performances.
Sport & Recreation - New Englanders are a very sporting people, and are encouraged to play and participate in some form of sport. The government has actively encouraged amateur sport through generous funding of local sports facilities. Professional sport is not at all subsidised, and professional athletes are charged a tuition fee for their training, which they can pay back as a form of tax once they earn enough money playing.
Society
New England is a stable and prosperous western society, with a sound basis on the rule of law and democracy. Since independence, New England has increasingly aligned itself with the progressive ideals of Europe where there are now a high degree of personal freedoms coupled with national responsibility.The people of New England have developed a single national identity, with a set of institutions and political ideologies which reflect the nation's culture and history. These values encourage tolerance, egalitarianism and the notion of a ‘fair go', but with the needs of society placed ahead of the needs of the individual.
At the same time, the national values discourage rampant individualism and greed. Also discouraged is the cultural isolation that occurs with the formation of cultural ghettos by migrants. All cultures are expected to contribute and add to the collective national identity, bringing with them their cuisine, music, film, dress, language and sport. The less desirable elements of any culture (and all have at least some) are to be left at the door, including violence, discrimination, sexism, homophobia, arrogance, aloofness and imperialism, just to name a few.
Perhaps most surprisingly to many outsides, the national identity seeks to encourage the idea that all people should have a strong faith system (it doesn't matter which one, as long as it is not extremist). To New Englanders, the idea that people have a strong system of faith and beliefs is one of the most important aspects of the national identity, and goes a long way to explaining why Unitarianism has become the largest religion.
Demographics - Most New Englanders are descendents from European colonial immigrants who came to New England in the years between 1821 and 1973. At the time of independence, the population of New England was about 300,000. Over the last forty years, that population has increased to 2.4 million through a combination of having a higher birth rate, a lower death rate, and one the most progressive immigration schemes in the world. The New England of today is a nation of diverse ages, religions, languages and family structures.
Daily Life - The daily life of most New Englanders is not all that different to a lot of western nations, although there are many unique characteristics that have developed over the last forty years. Many things separate New Englanders from Australians in their day to day lives. Things like marriage, death and a career are radically different here, and the people are proud of the nation that have built. On average, the working week is also shorter for most people.
Education - There are four major tiers of education in New England. Children start schooling in Pre-Schools at the age of four or five and then move into Kindergarten for a year. At the age of six, all pupils start first form, where they then move up six levels over thirteen years to sixth form at the age of eighteen. There are four tertiary institutions consisting of three polytechnics and one university.
Public Health - The health system is entirely public, with all people assured full health care by the Medibank system. All people in New England can expect free care for any injury or treatment. Cost recovery is therefore kept at a minimum. There are twenty-seven hospitals located across the country in every major city and town.
Public Safety - As part of it's community obligation, the government provides all public safety services including Ambulance services , Civil Defence, Fire Brigades, and Policing. These services ensure that New Englanders are protected against danger, and can expect to be properly cared for when an emergency occurs.
