What are the national cultures? Does any regional diversity exist in the national cultures? Or are they homogeneous in their national cultures?

National cultures are the cultures that people from specific countries living in certain territories have in common with each other. National cultures have evolved over time due to various historical events. They can share historical origins, languages, ethnicities, religions, social institutions, cultural norms, traditions, practices, and many other things, but primarily they belong to the same nationality.

People belonging to national cultures are Italians, Greeks, Finns, Swedes, Brits, French, Austrians, Germans, Moroccans, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Indonesians, Americans, and Canadians. These are national cultures because they consist of people from the same country within national borders. If people reside abroad but keep their nationality and cultural identity, they can be considered to belong to their nationality of origin.

Do national cultures exist as something cultural that they have in common? Cultural studies have demonstrated that people of specific nationalities have similar beliefs, attitudes, values, cultural norms, practices, and behaviors.

Throughout the history of cultural research, scholars have classified national cultures into groups according to cultural similarities between nations. Western and Eastern cultures were among the earliest transnational cultural divisions. Researchers usually attribute Western societies to individualistic cultures, while Eastern cultures are attributed to collectivistic cultures. Some core differences between Western and Eastern cultures certainly exist.

African and Latin American cultures combine with other large transnational groups of cultures. European cultures are often divided into East-European and West-European cultures (Karandashev, 2021).

Regional Diversity of National Cultures

National cultures can be monocultural, multicultural, or regionally specific in terms of their subcultures. For decades, cross-cultural studies have primarily focused on the comparisons between national cultures, neglecting regional variations within each country. Therefore, researchers investigated, for instance, the residents of New York City and Paris as representatives of American and French national cultures. Besides, undergraduate students from the middle class have been typical participants in the studies.

There are plenty of regional cultures within many national cultures. In this regard, it may not be quite adequate to treat the United States of America, Switzerland, India, and other large, multiregional, and multiethnic countries as unitary, monolithic, and monocultural national cultures (Smith & Bond, 1999). Such an approach can conceal the diverse nature of their subcultures, or even different cultures unified under one national unit.

Territorial regions of some countries with historically distinct cultures strive to retain their social and cultural identities. Among well-known examples, are Scotland in the United Kingdom, Bavaria in Germany, Catalonia in Spain, Quebec in Canada, and Texas in the United States.

Regional Diversity of Cultures in France

France is a country with a relatively modest territory. Nevertheless, the French people of northern France are quite different from the people of southern France. The cultures of the northern and southern regions of France shaped their regional cultures due to the impact of surrounding countries and the climate.

The culture of northern France may look, to some extent, like the neighboring north European cultures of Germany and Belgium. People in northern France are a little more reserved and less flamboyant than southerners.

The culture of southern France can remind you of the Mediterranean cultures of Spain, Portugal, and Italy. People in the south of France are more extraverted and flamboyant.

Regional Diversity of Cultures in Germany

German culture also has significant cultural diversity between its regions. Distinct differences exist between southern, northern, and eastern Germany.

The industrialized regions of northern Germany, such as Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt, are culturally more transnational. This can be due to their historical international trade relations with other countries (Hall & Hall, 1990).

Some German regions have their own cultural origins and prefer to follow their cultural heritage. For example, the cultural understanding of work ethics and time systems in Mannheim is quite different from Munich. Many German territories are Protestant. That is different from the Catholic German south.

Bavarians feel quite different culturally from other parts of Germany. The Bavarian German language has a strong regional dialect. Historically, Bavaria is traditionally Catholic. However, the number of Catholics has recently declined.

Regional Diversity of Cultures in the USA

The United States of America is a country with a great regional diversity of population. Since its origins, the USA has been a country of immigrants, with colonists from various countries settling in different parts of its large territory. Immigrants of the same origin preferred to reside close to others of the same nationality.

American demographers tend to speak of Americans as being people of Western and Northern European roots. These European Americans are the cultural majority. Native Americans, African Americans, Latino Americans, and Asian Americans are usually viewed as the cultures of minorities. One can see an obvious European-centric notion of American culture, which contrasts with others (Karandashev, 2021).

It is worthy of note that immigrants from different European countries, such as Sweden and Italy, have many cultural differences. The same can be said about Asian Americans. Despite their general Asian similarity, they are culturally diverse.

Another major facet of American regional diversity is the socially noticeable cultural distinctions between the southern and northern states. Many researchers consider the northern and southern parts of the USA to have different cultures (e.g., Cohen, 1996; Vandello & Cohen, 1999; Vandello, Cohen, & Ransom, 2008).

The Culture of the American South States

Generally, people living in southern states are more conservative and more collectivistic in many regards. Collectivist tendencies are stronger in the Deep South. Southerners tend to consider social stratification fair and favor patriarchal gender roles. They are more intolerant of ambiguity and uncertainty in many situations. Therefore, they prefer the established order in life. They highly respect the cultural tradition, stressing the value of honor.

The Culture of the American North States

Commonly, people living in northern states are more liberal and individualistic in many respects. Individualist tendencies are stronger in the Mountain West and Great Plains. Northerners tend to favor social justice and gender equality. They are more tolerant of situations of ambiguity and uncertainty in life. They emphasize the value of pride less than southerners.