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Hey guys, I am new here, I am from Eastern Europe and I am really keen in the United States related topics. I know that the South had totally different society and was totally different place from the North in the past. Since the end of World War Second social and economical processes accelerated in the South, nearly to a point achieved already in the North, urbanizing and desegregating the area, and shifting, I assume, traditional Southern values and Southern way of life. I would like to ask you is still life in the South that much different than life in the North? What does it mean today to be a Southerner? In which way a Southerner remains distinguishable from the Northerner? What do you associate with the South, what are the Southern values and are they the opposite of the Northern values? Does Southern mean today more rural than referring to former Confederate States of America?
I know that the South is not a monolith, so feel free to describe regional differences and peculiarities. I am interested in all you might have to say, whether it be about the infamous Appalachia, Old Virginia, which northernmost part stands firmly with the North nowadays, or the heavily developed areas of Georgia and Carolinas.
Last edited by Yenisey; 12-02-2014 at 02:41 PM..
Reason: To clarify the meaning of the meassage
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
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Today it has more to do with culture, values, accent, and food. There is a strong "overlay" American culture that all Americans share, but there are still smaller things that define Southerness
Traditional etiquette is still considered the norm and anything else is considered rude. Things like holding the door open for people, addressing older people with proper terms like Maam / Sir / Mr/ Misses, polite driving - like letting others back out of the parking lot w/o blowing the horn or giving them the finger, friendliness and eye contact with strangers is considered polite, non Southerners tend to be more guarded and introverted with strangers. Hospitality is strongly emphasized.
Food is still different. Fried food is more common, although younger people and more educated people shun it more due to health concerns. Southern food is still spicier, and things like corn bread, biscuits and gravy, and grits are more commonly eaten.
Politically the South is the last area to change, for good and bad. Pretty much any issues that will be the case, from abolishing the death penalty to gay marriage. It also has lower taxes (and warmer weather) which aids population growth.
From what I know, the South, with the exception for the most developed parts of Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, which had been strongly influenced by the North, was and is politically and socially conservative. The South shifted from Solid South to Republican Stronghold after Civil Rights Act of 1964. This was the matter of affilation, not ideology, which had remained the same.
Arkansas alone is about the size of Hungary and Slovakia. Mississippi by itself is roughly equivalent to Bosnia & Herzegovina and Croatia. All the states and their residents are different.
I grew up in the south and now live in the western United States. For me the things I notice most about my own characteristics as well as other southern raised people that I work with is that we are more prone to ask someone how they are doing as well as make an insistence to be polite to people. I notice most southerners at work tend to ask the hotel guests how they are doing as well as where they are from etc... whereas most of my other co-workers from the western United States seem to have a lot more formalities to go through in order to build any sort of bond with anyone. I also notice that we tend to say "Yes Maam, and Yes Sir" as it is usually our way of being polite. This slang sometimes gets us a good stare from others as they think we are calling them old when we are actually just trying to be polite and show respect. Southerners like all other people groups will have some good, some bad, and a lot of common people. However overall I would say being polite and asking someone how their day is going is a common southern theme.
I've never even heard of putting sugar in cornbread.
Yankee alert! Only someone north of Virginia would never have even heard of it!
My grandma always put sugar in her cornbread. Everyone knew about her cookin'! But it is more common today to find cornbread without sugar especially with the imitation stuff up north.
A small amount of sugar in cornbread, about a teaspoon or so, is fairly standard, as long as the cornbread doesn't taste sweet.
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I've never even heard of putting sugar in cornbread.
