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I think there's a bit more variety than that. Devout Mormon Republicans are at least somewhat culturally different than devout Pentecostal Southerners.
And what of American Indians? A good percent of them are rural and many, maybe even most, of the American-Indian-majority-counties are majority rural.
Massachusetts is the #1 grower of tabacco in the nation, so yes it can be grown in Conn.
Not even close
In 2010 MA had 950 acres harvested in Tobacco, and for 2011 only 630 acres. Shoot the next closest state is OH and it is over double the amount MA produces. NC is top of the heap with 168,000+ acres in 2010 and 174,000+ ares in 2011
Scoll down to page 21 on this report (http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/Acre/Acre-06-30-2011.pdf - broken link) from the USDA on crop production in the US for a list of the States with commercial tobacco production. Page 22 gives the classification of each area type of tobacco and which areas harvested how many acres for each type.
Great observation (+1). To answer your question I've bolded above, some folks on CD seem to feel the answer would be "yes" based on what I've been reading. New Hampshire has a NASCAR race and Houston has a great opera company. Neither fact changes their regional character, though it does seem hard for some here to grasp that.
Maybe a few people on CD would think so, but I don't think anybody living in Michigan cities think that the rural part of the state is southern. They might think there are some people living in those areas that have resemblance to stereotypically southern traits, but there are others that don't.
Maybe a few people on CD would think so, but I don't think anybody living in Michigan cities think that the rural part of the state is southern. They might think there are some people living in those areas that have resemblance to stereotypically southern traits, but there are others that don't.
I think it's more of the point that a lot of the stereotypes that are blanketed on the South are more rural traits than simply Southern traits.
My personal take is that it more illustrates the disconnect between urban culture and rural culture. What is called "Southern" and "redneck" culture on this board can be found in a lot of rural areas throughout the country.
You can find a lot of people in Southern rural areas that defy these stereotypes, too. That's why it's dangerous to use them.
I think sometimes we need to make a distinction between "physically rural" and "shared rural American culture."
Physically rural areas exist all over the country. For example, I can drive ten minutes in most directions and be in farmland. Does anybody here think that those areas, or the people that live in them, are southern? Of course not (I'm in Michigan.) About the only difference I notice is that they get more snow days in the winter.
However, there is a relatively recent development of what I'll call "shared rural American culture." I think it's propagated by country music and closely associated cultural activities (such as cowboy and/or camo gear, NASCAR, or maybe even towns coming together for high school football games.) Those ideals are heavily influenced by southern culture, even in areas and individuals that are not in the South. Not all rural people or Southerners for that matter subscribe to this culture, and there are many northern suburbanites who do. So I think that's where the whole idea that "rural = southern" comes from.
In regards to the increasing influence of country music in rural areas that are NOT southern...
I grew up in rural Michigan. There were kids who liked country music and kids who didn't. I do think it has become more popular in recent years. But I don't think it has a whole lot to do with a change in culture. The country music industry has made great efforts in the past decade to become more "mainstream." The country music that all of the kids up north are so into these days is basically twangy pop music. But for many rural kids, it's easier to relate to this new version of country music than the angry, angst-filled music that is found on the rock stations. A lot of kids actually switch back and forth between the country station and the pop station. Anyway, the popularity of country music in northern states probably has more to do with brilliant marketing schemes than anything else. The country music industry is all about making $$$. And you can't do that by only appealing to a country music traditionalist in Tennessee.
Not saying that there aren't people in these places who appreciate real country music. But a lot of the new listeners don't actually like "real" country music, or even know what it is.
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