Running head: EXPLORING CULTURE ESSAY ROUGH DRAFT

Nick Grigsby
Exploring Culture Essay (1st Draft)
CIS 110
University of Kentucky

EXPLORING CULTURE ESSAY ROUGH DRAFT

The Culture that I have chosen to conduct my research on is those who come from the
South because I come from the Midwest so things between our cultures should be quite
significantly different. Southern Culture is defined by the unique history that comes along with
it, as well as an identity that is very separate from all other regions of the U.S. because it is the
most studied region making that a pretty definitive cultural point. Political affiliation and
Religious association, as well as Food, Musical styles, Fashion choices and unique customs are
also a part of what defines culture in the South.
Outside of the South, I feel as though people generally revere those who come from the
South as degenerates or rednecks to a degree and disrespect by assuming that they possess a
lesser intelligence than those who come from different regions of the United States. People also
view the south as a very conservative place which I really do not necessarily disagree with, but
southerners are assumed to be very strict and uptight about issues that are dealt with in our
country. Racism is also a stereotype that people have placed upon those from the South because
regardless of all of the issues in the past, racism is still a very prevalent issue that occurs in the
Southern states.
Some of the more common and factual concepts held from people from regions other than the
South
(http://www.alternet.org/story/154794/5_big_media_stereotypes_about_the_south_%28and_the_
real_story_behind_them%29?page=0%2C1). People often think that the South is very non
progressive and has not moved along with the rest of modern society. Although, it has been
proven that the Southern region is essentially a pretty poor region many people mistake the
economic shortcomings for laziness amongst the people of this particular culture. Perception on
the amount of intelligence that inhabitants of the South possess has been an idea that has been

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going on for as long as I can remember which makes the most logical amount of sense as to why
it is one of the most common concepts that people outside of the South hold and that idea of
people from the south being stupid is still very prevalent. People also hold the idea of
Southerners having a large amount of conservative biasness and only supporting anything that is
on behalf the right side politically and that there is little to no room for liberal ideals in the South
which a majority of the South is conservative but to put that label on a whole region seems a tad
bit absurd. These ideas of Southerners are points that I will be touched on later in this essay
through the use of my interviews with associates of mine from the Southern region.
During this process I have had the chance to interview several individuals that come from
the Southern region of the United States and it has been an interesting process throughout this
project. Going into the research needed for this paper I had a slightly different perception than
what I have ended with after interviewing these individuals. Concepts that I have had in the past
have basically been erased because I have learned that even though I am from a different region
than a lot of my peers from the south are, that in many ways we are not so different.
Starting with culture as my first point, coming from the Midwest is an entirely different
thing than the South. Slang that we use, clothing that we wear, and even things such as what we
morally believe in are different in many ways. Person #1 when being asked about his history,
home of origin, and why his family settled in the South he replied: that Three generations have
lived on the same farm that I live on now. Bedford, Kentucky is my home of origin, we settled
there because farm land was cheap so we bought all that we could get.
Coming from the place that I am from in the Midwest things are very different for me
because especially being raised in such an urban area where everything is overpopulated and life
is much more motivated by the dollar. Through asking this question I learned that farm life was a

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pretty rough time for person #1 and that it was said to be a lot of hard work because of all of the
different facets that you have to maintain being the owner of all that land. Being a city boy that
is something that I just could never relate to and I could never imagine life outside of the city so
it was interesting to see life from the rural perspective through that question.
Furthering this interview with person #1 I chose to ask a question regarding the discipline
done in the Southern culture. Proceeding forward with this the question that was asked was:
What are your family beliefs on discipline? He then replied: When we were younger we used to
receive spankings, and my Mom said if she ever looked at me as if I was in trouble, that I would
start to cry. I guess You make a mistake one time, you learn from it.
Growing up in my culture I too would also receive spankings, even sometimes I would
receive punishment by getting hit with a switch, so in that aspect our cultures are a bit similar to
a degree, outside of that though I would also receive nonphysical forms of punishments such as
getting grounded, or time outs, or being disciplined but just the use of words. After this response,
I suppose that generally is the separation of differences that I can distinguish between the aspects
of discipline in both of these cultures.
Throughout my interview with person one I learned very interesting things about his
culture and all of the different things that were entailed within it, but I also interviewed a second
person as well and I want to discuss some of the things that were exchanged between him and I
so I will come back to more of the discussion between him and I further on in this essay.
Person #2 also received the same first interview question as person #1 which was: what
was his history, home of origin, and why his family settled in the South he replied with: My
parents met in Venezuela, but my Dad was working here in Kentucky overseas and he was doing

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much better in the U.S. so they decided to move here. Lexington, Kentucky is my home of
origin, Ive been here my whole life.
Generally this whole response was much wholesomely different than that of person #1s
answer, and it was awesome to learn of such an important and defining time within his the origin
and such of his culture. Whereas, my parents only met within the same plain old city of
Rockford, Illinois which does not really make for that great of a story because I really do not find
too much of anything that unique about that and it clearly shows that the origins of our culture
are completely different because my parents have basically always been inhabitants of Rockford
which generally explains how I got to where I am and how my history was started, while person
#2s origin was a product of the work of his father.
Moving on with the interview, I decided to discuss the cultural view upon the status of
family within the South. I proceeded to ask person #2 my question which was: Who holds the
most status in your family? Which he then replied with: My father, because without him my
family would not be where they are.
Tying into the same topic as the question above, I asked person #1 a question that was
quite similar which was: What are gender norms in your culture? To which he replied: Growing
up my brother and I always went out to help my Dad farm, while my sister would stay in the
house with my mom and help cook and clean.
Both of these elements within their culture are different than mine because coming up
both my Mother and Father worked so I have always seen life through the eyes of equal family
contribution. Every single one of the members of my family have had to work, including myself
and we have always been taught to do so because that is the cultural norm within my family,

EXPLORING CULTURE ESSAY ROUGH DRAFT

while the subjects of my interview have been raised to the cultural norm of the idea that only the
father is supposed to work and bring the income in for the family, while the mother stays and
takes care of the home. Although, my Mother did some of the same things, she still did work and
take care of the household, so it is just different to learn and see the perspective of how the
Gender norms differ between my culture and my subjects from the South.
I next decided to ask person #1 the question of: What qualities define a Southern
gentlemen? Because being from a different region I was curious in seeing what is expected out of
the men of the south, to which he replied: Chivalry towards women, respect towards elders & all
of those around you, incentive to be a hardworking man. Being raised in the household that I
was these are also the things that I was taught to do as well but in terms of the men in my region
in the United States I do not think that this is generally what is expected out of all men because
we have different ideologies on what a man is expected to be like. Generally, I would like to say
that most Midwestern men treat women with respect and are hard workers, but you are more
likely to find these qualities among a man from the South because there is a much higher stress
on being like that, so that is what differs between our cultures on the expectations of men.
Misconceptions are the next topic that I chose to discuss with both person #1 and #2 when being
asked, what is the most common misconception held about of your culture? Person #1
responded: Probably that most southerners are racist, and that most southerners are uptight
because the huge population of conservatives down here. Expanding upon those
misconceptions, person #2 responded with: That southerners are hicks, wear no shoes, dont
speak proper English, and do unforgivable sexual practices with their family members, and that
things have not moved that far along even though things and cities are pretty modern here.
These said misconceptions are what many people from my region hold upon people from the
South. Generally, before I attended this university the ideals of southerners that I have had are
pretty accurate to these. Upon my attendance of this university though I have come to learn that
although many people that live in the South hold different ideals than those from my own region
that there are very great people that I have met here no matter if they fit the description of these
misconceptions our not. Obviously, not a person that I have met here has performed these
unforgivable acts and stepping aside from that, everyone that I have met in the South is

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remotely even as some would call a redneck I think more people from my region of living try
to be redneck than of those who were just simply raised in the Southern region. Ideals of
illiteracy in the South have practically been put the rest by those that I have met here because
they in no way fit the description of the typical Southern which others have unrightfully placed
upon them.
After covering misconceptions, I wanted to examine religion so I asked person #1: What spiritual
& religious beliefs are influential in your culture & family? And he replied: Whenever we were
younger we would attend church, we also would hold hands for every meal that we have and we
still do that to this day. My entire family is Christian and my family is held tightly together on
the foundation of those beliefs.
Having that been his response I am not really all that surprised by that because my region have
always examined the Southern region as being hyper religious, in fact, in a poll taken of the top
10 most religious states the Southern region dominated a majority of it. Coming from the
Midwest, generally religion has never really come off as too important as a general although I
was raised Christian. Now, being in a place that is considered a Southern state I have come to
learn that it is not that religious of a place judging off of the many people that I met, I mean there
are beliefs in God no doubt, just the stress on religion is not as high as I thought that it would be
though.
Lastly, I chose to look into the community impact of the Southerner culture. I proceeded to ask
both of my participants on this one on