There was a long and interesting piece about regionalism in Brabant
in NRC Handelsblad last Saturday (5.9.98) by Jutta Chorus. Here are 
a few excerpts (tedious translation work; sloppy and ugly, but that's
what you deserve) [Herman Beun]:

"Since the beginning of the nineties, each year on average 14000
Randstad [the name for the economically and politically dominant 
urban area in the west, consisting of the cities Rotterdam, The 
Hague, Amsterdam and Utrecht and everything in between]
inhabitants with vague rustic longings move to Brabant. This
is shown by internal migration figures of the Centraal Bureau voor de
Statistiek. They see [ follows summing up of typical Brabant
folkloric things ]. And they melt for all that authenticity. They are
highly educated, but let themselves be convinced emotionally -- even
though often economic knowledge is the basis of their decision.
In a book that appeared last year, the landscape architect Dirk
Sijmons signals a new regionalism: 'Local specialties like bloedworst
reappear on the menu. The historical names names of several regions
like the Baronie of Breda, the Meierij of 's-Hertogenbosch, the
Kempen, the Land van Cuijk are being rediscovered gradually. These
are often age-old names which have been replaced by the business-like
geographical subdivision of Noord-Brabant [the official name of the
province, HB] into West-Brabant, Middenbrabant.' The 'peculiar' is
valued again.
'Disputable though this romanticised image may be, regionalism
fulfills a real need. Next to the increased [actieradius = range of
action"?] of most people is a growing need for a sense of security,
which could be called under the denominator «the great homecoming».'
If the Brabanders don't do it themselves, the Randstad people step
forward as protectors of what is characteristic for the region. [...]
They make a reconstruction of the authentic local culture, and annex
it. [...] Sociologist Piet de Kroon, director of the socio-cultural
research institute for Noord-Brabant PON, observes a protectionist
attitude among the newcomers. 'They buy a house in Brabant with more
than 5 rooms and 14 m of garden, and subsequently they join an action
against expansion of their district, saying «Keep Brabant for us
own». [...]
The sworn pact Brabantish villagers made together ages ago has been
broken, according to Lips [someone who lived in Brabant as a boy,
moved out, and returned recently]. Just like that. 'Twenty-five years
ago, people here were grumpy against outsiders and friendly in a
cynical way to each other. Now they seem more willing, service-minded
almost, but I have no clue of their intentions anymore.'
According to cultural-philosopher Paul Kuypers, the ideology of
regionalism is romanticised and fake. It presumes a harmonious,
organic societal structure that does not exist. Brabant is an
imaginary museum. And still it is exactly the characteristic that
appeals so much to the imperialists from Outside. The outsiders in
Veghel take part in village life enthusiastically, mayor Keijzer
observes. 'The more Brabantish an association [vereniging=forening],
the more enthiusiastic newcomers offer themselves for a place in the
board.' They do not impair the original culture, but contribute to
it. Traditional village associations like the «schuttersgilde»
[historical citizen soldiery] Sint Barbara, the two brass bands and
regional historio-geographical society Vecchele were saved from
perition by the devotion of the 'import'. They are even going through
a revival. [...]
According to cultural-philosopher Paul Kuypers, people above the
rivers still have the image of the pious, good-natured and
hard-working Brabander in mind. For that reason, ousiders speak of
'the dark south'. But according to him, exactly these typical
Brabantian properties have enabled the renewal of the economic
structure of the province during the past years. 'Nowhere', Kuypers
writes in his essay «Onverwerkt verleden, overleven in Brabant» which
appeared last year, 'the redevelopment of the traditional industry
been so without problems as in Brabant, and nowhere the policy aiming
at establishing new companies has been so succesfull.'"