Why is Iowa often seen as being very exemplary of American culture and society?

[smpliving]

What does Iowa have to do with Appalachia, Alabama or New York State?

[scatteredthunder]

Originally Posted by smpliving

What does Iowa have to do with Appalachia, Alabama or New York State?

LOL...Nothing. They got swept up in debating what constitutes "southern" and "Appalachian", having nothing to do with where is representative of American culture anymore.

[toosie]

Back on topic, please - “Why is Iowa often seen as being very exemplary of American culture and society?”

No last words, either - just move on.

[Andrew in Minnesota]

Frankly, I've never heard of this Iowa-typifying-exemplar-American-culture thing of which you speak.

[Tusco]

Originally Posted by Doughboy1918

Iowa is often regarded as somewhere that very much typifies American culture and society in the media, but personally I'm not sure why this is.

For one thing, being situated west of the Mississippi River, it was not permenantly settled by Euro-Americans until as late as the 1830s, meaning that it's history is somewhat different and partially also why it never truly industrialized at the same rate as most of the country. Consequently, it's economy largely remained agricultural and never fully diversified either.

Even it's largest metro only has 750,000 people. I could be wrong, but it would seem the average American lives in a metro of at least 2 million residents.

Although it's close to the center of the United States literally speaking, the center of the US population has always been near the Ohio River, around southern Indiana, which Iowa is quite a far away from.

Iowa to me though does seem to be very much representative of an 'old', pre-suburban sprawl era of America, which conservatives of course often idolize, but definitely not a modern template of the country.

But I don't know, what's your thoughts on this? Do you think Iowa is a microcosm of America? Let me know.

The Midwest region is already seen as exemplary of American culture and society, and Iowa is the only Midwest state that's commonly seen as just Midwest without also being seen as one of the Midwest's sub-regions at the same time (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri are Lower Midwest. Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are Upper Midwest. North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas are Great Plains).

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Deleted...Wrong thread...sorry

[Doughboy1918]

Originally Posted by Tusco

The Midwest region is already seen as exemplary of American culture and society, and Iowa is the only Midwest state that's commonly seen as just Midwest without also being seen as one of the Midwest's sub-regions at the same time (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri are Lower Midwest. Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are Upper Midwest. North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas are Great Plains).

Somewhere that would be exemplary of American culture would be one where several cultural regions meet at a crossroads. Quite a few people see Ohio as the most representative American state because it straddles Appalachia, the Great Lakes, the Mid-Atlantic and the Corn Belt.

In all fairness though, what really defines the Midwest? Is it the Cornbelt, the Great Lakes, or the Plains? It’s not a well-defined region and Iowa only really represents the first of the three.

[stephenMM]

“Why is Iowa often seen as being very exemplary of American culture and society?”

I have never heard anyone say such a thing. Probably because I can't see how any state is exemplary of American culture. I don't even think there is such a thing. Is Louisiana anything like California? Or Georgia like New York? Thank goodness each state has its own culture and identity.

[Doughboy1918]

Originally Posted by stephenMM

“Why is Iowa often seen as being very exemplary of American culture and society?”

I have never heard anyone say such a thing. Probably because I can't see how any state is exemplary of American culture. I don't even think there is such a thing. Is Louisiana anything like California? Or Georgia like New York? Thank goodness each state has its own culture and identity.

The places you mention are cultural outliers. Most of the United States is exemplified by Lower Midwestern culture, and either Ohio or Illinois are often the two states most people consider to typify the nation the most. Quite a few others think Iowa too, but hence this thread, I don’t think it is as much as the others, though it is just my opinion.