Running Head: INVESTIGATING SOUTHERN CULTURE IN AMERICA

On Southern Culture in America

Shauna Carlson
University of Kentucky

INVESTIGATING SOUTHERN CULTURE IN AMERICA

Abstract:
Southern Culture in America is extremely influenced by many other cultures.
From food, to architecture, to music, to celebrations, to simply the way of life- Southern
culture is extremely unique. Hospitality and politeness is a standard for children and
adults all the same. Yet, even with a focus on such things, racism in the South is still alive
and prevalent. Many times people from the Southern culture are characterized as
rednecks, or uneducated- however, that is truly not the case. You will find people like that
everywhere you go, which goes to prove that a certain culture is not responsible for the
lifestyle decisions made by individuals. The South is home to country music, warm
weather, and sunny days. This weather is undeniably reflected in the sunniness of the
personalities of those people living there.

Key Words: Hospitality, racism, Southern, culture

INVESTIGATING SOUTHERN CULTURE IN AMERICA

Southern Culture: Warm weather and warm spirits.

Southern culture is a mold that does not like to change. It is a culture that consists
of many people who resist change, and also many people who push change as well.
Needless to say, those who are considered part of the change (African Americans,
Latinos, etc.) live very separate experiences than most white people do. The South is
notoriously known for ethnic tensions, and most of all slavery. This institution has played
an enormous role in the history, the present, and most likely the future of Southern
Culture. Thus, I theorize, the South is kin to thousands of different threads from hundreds
of different cultures- and Southern culture is highly influenced by different ethnicities
and ethnic cultures. Being born and raised in the North, I am hypersensitive to the
longitudinal differences of the North and South

Figure 1

INVESTIGATING SOUTHERN CULTURE IN AMERICA

What states are considered to be part of the South, one may ask? Todays general
consensus (as shown in Figure 1) is that the South is comprised of West Virginia,
Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. This paper will explain traits and
characteristics demonstrated by those people living the sunny, Southern life.
In the article: Southern values revived: How a brutal strain of conservative
American aristocrats have come to rule America, author S. Robinson explains the old
views of the white Southern power holders. This power comes from Americas dark
history of slavery, and the white mans ability to praise his self above all others. In the
old South, on the other hand, the degree of liberty you enjoyed was a direct function of
your God-given place in the social hierarchy. (Robinson, 2012, p.1) The south today is
much different than it was when slavery still existed, yet the views of old white plantation
owners are still very much alive as they have been passed down through the generations.
For African Americans in the south, racism is very much more prevalent than it is in the
North. This is ironic, however, for the South is comprised of nearly just as many African
Americans as Caucasians. The closeness of the Southern states to Mexico makes for a
high population of Mexican Americans. Not only do Mexican Americans and African
Americans have enormous numbers in the South, their cultures have played some of the
biggest roles in shaping todays entire southern culture. This can be seen in the Mexican
and the soul food that is so popular, along with the hip-hop/rap and country music and the
high prevalence of Spanish speakers. There are also many similarities in grammar, slang
and accents. For example: the usage of words like: fixin-to; and as Figure 1 shows,

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(one of the main language differences between North and South) the Southerners usage of
Yall
In the academic journal Mississippi Quarterly: The journal of Southern cultures:
Southern Roots and Routes: Mobility, Migration, and the Literary Imagination author S.
Donaldson explains the resistance of change in the South. This journal can be tied back to
the website article previously mentioned, because it plays on the white conservative
influence in the South. Conservatism is explained as the complete and total resistance to
change, and can be characterized as an almost fear of change. The US South, the region
of the country long associated with attachment to place, with staying put, and with
resisting change and movement. (Donaldson, 2012, p. 3) This resistance to change is
exemplified in much of the Southern infrastructure. For example: roads, buildings, and
bridges. While interviewing one of my interviewees, Keegan Glick, he explained that the
laissez-faire attitude of the Deep South allows for some desecration of the roads and
buildings- without much concern from owners or communities. However, Southern
culture has many amazing attributes that would be heartbreaking to see changed. One of
these attributes includes infamous Southern hospitality. Southern hospitality is very much
alive and thriving. Children are most often raised to be extremely polite and respectful. In
contrast with the North, children in the South address their elders as Maam and Sir,
and they ask questions beginning with please and ending with thank you. In an
interview with Keegan Glick, a twenty-one year-old man from Louisiana, he expressed
Southern Culture in a bright light. To him, Southern culture is very noticeable and differs
greatly from the rest of the country. Keegan explained that the architecture in the South is
greatly influenced by French design, as well as Italian and Mediterranean designs also. In

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the North you will see cape houses, salt box houses, and old Victorian houses- yet in the
South you will find plantation style homes, ranches, and Italianates. Below, Figure 2 is
an example of a classic plantation style home in New Orleans, Louisiana. The trees in this
picture also add uniqueness to the South, adding to its charming appeal.

Figure 2
A Newspaper article titled: A lot of Southern whites are a little bit black by C.
Ingraham; readers discover that black ancestry is very much a part of white ancestry. In
other words: In percentage terms, that means that roughly 3.5 percent of self-described
white Americans have one percent or more of African ancestry. (Ingraham, 2014, p.1)
This statistic can be taken in many different ways- and when mentioned to one of my
interviewees, they responded, dont tell a lot of white people that. This response
perfectly highlighted the racial tensions still felt in the South, and sadly reinforced the
idea that white people are better than black people. Such a statistic is quite surprising, for
those who appear to be white would never suspect having any African American roots.

INVESTIGATING SOUTHERN CULTURE IN AMERICA

The ethnic tensions that exist in the South are a huge part of its culture, though many
Caucasians will surely refuse to admit it. This statistic goes to prove that we are all made
up of many different ancestors, just like the South is made up of so many different
ethnicities.
The South is home to some of the spiciest, sweetest, and most delicious food you
will ever get to enjoy. In the book: Southern Foodways Alliance Studies in Culture,
People, and Place: Hog Meat and Hoecake: Food Supply in the Old South by Hillard
and Sam Bowers, the audience is introduced to the food in the South and the influence
the culture has had on it. For Southerners throughout the past, self-sufficiency was of
foremost importance, because there was often great distance between plantations, and
refrigeration was virtually non-existent. While the overall supply of foodstuffs in the
United States generally has been adequate, individual farm units rarely were diversified
enough for each farmer to produce all the agricultural products he needed. (Hilliard,
2014, p. 2) Having the ability to raise and harvest crops and animals was possessed by
nearly everyone, though usually not in synchrony. Arrangements had to be made to trade
and barter with fellow farmers and growers, however trips to neighboring plantations
could require long, and difficult journeys. Such difficult lifestyles provided the need for
help, and Southern Caucasians found exactly what they wanted by buying slaves. When
slave trade took off in Southern America, farming and growing began to become a lot
easier, for they had many more hands; and, after a small fee to buy their slaves, white
Southerners had free labor as well. However, todays southern food is different. Due to
changing times the abundance of food is more prevalent, as is the ability to acquire food.
Some Southern favorites today include: fried chicken, crawfish, collard greens,

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cornbread, gumbo, jambalaya, and catfish. In the North it is not impossible to find such
foodstuffs- however, in the South, these are often the traditional go-to foods choices.
Country music is a huge part of the Southern culture. The genre it is by far the
most popular in the South, and nearly all country music stars are from the South as well.
Having an entire genre dedicated to American and Southern pride, focused on Southern
cities, produced in the South and by Southern artists is quite unique and important to the
culture. The country music capital of the world is Nashville, Tennessee- the place where
nearly all of its stars are made. By having such a popular and expressive form of art to
define the culture, the South produces beauty that all the country can enjoy. Some popular
country artists include Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Kenney Chesney and Garth Brooks.
In an interview conducted with Belle Leininger, a twenty year-old female from
Northern Kentucky. Her name is actually quite ironic, because of the term Southern
Belle. It is an old term that is used to describe a beautiful, upper class Southern woman.
Belle explained to me her views on the South She told me that it was difficult for her to
explain, because in her perspective nothing really stands out she is accustomed to the
Southern culture. She explained that one of her favorite parts about the South is the
hospitality- she feels comfortable around most people because she believes friendliness is
a solid foundation of the culture. Isabelle considers the South to be her home
and her place of comfort and familiarity. She feels the warmth of the
South radiating not just in the weather, but also in the hospitality and
the kindness of the people who live there. Her accent is not nearly as
twangy as those living in the Deep South, but it is definitely southern.

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The differences in accents seem to change with the climate, moreover,

the warmer it gets the stronger the accent gets.
Southern culture is a mold that does not like to be changed. It is kin to threads of
hundreds of different cultures that come together to create something unique and
beautiful. Despite its horrific past, as well as the abundant modern day racial struggles,
the South is a warm and hospitable, fun-loving place. Those people who were born and
raised in the South are undeniably different than myself for example, as I was born and
raised in the North. The differences, however, are pleasant. The expectations of politeness
for all people, along with the extreme diversity, make the South a highly interesting and
enjoyable place to live.

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References:

Figure 1: State debate: What do you say? [Online Image]. (2013, 08 13). Retrieved
March 8, 2015 from
https://www.facebook.com/usatoday/photos/a.100797840666.101835.13652355666/1015
1511758630667/?type=1&ref=nf

Robinson, S. (2012, July 1). Southern values revived How a brutal strain of conservative
American aristocrats have come to rule America. Retrieved February 20, 2015, from
http://www.salon.com/2012/07/01/southern_values_revived/

Donaldson, S. (2012). Mississippi Quarterly: The journal of Southern cultures. Southern

Roots and Routes: Mobility, Migration, and the Literary Imagination. Retrieved February
20, 2015, from Pro Quest, Literature Online.

Ingraham, C. (2014, December 22). A lot of Southern whites are a little bit black.
Retrieved February 22, 2015, from

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/12/22/a-lot-of-southernwhites-are-a-little-bit-black/

Glick, K. (2015, February 18). Interview on Southern Culture with Keegan [Personal
interview].

Figure 2: Southern plantations make one drift back in time. [Online Image] (2014)
Retrieved March 8, 2015
From http://www.scarlettscrib.com

Hilliard, Sam Bowers. Southern Foodways Alliance Studies in Culture, People, and
Place: Hog Meat and Hoecake: Food Supply in the Old South, 1840-1860. Athens, GA,
USA: University of Georgia Press, 2014. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 22 February 2015.

Leinenger, I. (2015, February 20). Interview on Southern Culture with Belle [Personal
interview].