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I have gathered from many people here that the South isn't a locale, but it's a mindset, it's traditions, it's culture, it's race. These things are not static so it follows that the South can't be static, either.
Here's an imaginary scenario. State X experiences changes in its Southern aspects because of immigration, whereas other states around stay the same for the most part. Now, over time State X becomes less and less Southern. It might keep a few Southern aspects, but what are traditionally called Southern aspects are less and less. Now State X is considered not a Southern state.
Now, State Y borders State X. Maybe in 50 years the same thing happens to State Y. Now State Y has taken the aspects of the Northern states just like State X. Both states are now not Southern because their Southern characteristics faded. They are Yankee states. Now, let's say State Z is south of both states but experiences the same thing in 100 years. Now State Z looks a lot like X and Y and all look like the North. The Southern culture is gone, the accents have faded, and there is no hint whatsoever of Southern character in any state.
With this example being said, isn't it fair to say that eventually the South will become a distant memory? As more and more transplants move South, as more and more people become less religious, as more and more people become more socially liberal, Southern values fade and fade away from society. Does this mean that eventually the South will be a thing of the past?
Culturally wise, the small towns and rural areas are still pretty much southern, and I don't see that changing at all in the foreseeable future. I do agree with some things you say when applying it to the major metros, but even then, you will still find some southern traits in these areas.
Your first mistake is in assuming that people outside the South are not socially conservative, are not religious, and whatever ridiculous stereotypes you're conjuring up.
Absolutely not. Maybe the urban areas of the South are becoming less stereotypically southern, but the rural areas and small towns are still VERY southern and I don't see any transplants moving to those areas. Are there really that many Yankees and transplants moving down here? Am I going to bump into a transplanted Yankee out in the middle of Caswell County, North Carolina? Just using a remote county not too far from me as an example. Point is, I don't see that ever happening.
Your first mistake is in assuming that people outside the South are not socially conservative, are not religious, and whatever ridiculous stereotypes you're conjuring up.
big cities like Raleigh are anything but Southern these days, you hardly even hear southern accents down there these days, by the way Raleigh has lost its southern Character not because of immigration but because of massive amounts of people from New York, Chicago etc. moving there.
Your first mistake is in assuming that people outside the South are not socially conservative, are not religious, and whatever ridiculous stereotypes you're conjuring up.
I suppose there will be a slow general homogenization of culture over succeeding generations.
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