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Wow.....Wpmead, LaNative, and Polo....I guess I have nothing else to say.
I guess it just depends how you were raised. It's split between Wacoans; some believe it's the west while others think it's the south. I think it's the south and it felt southern to me.
Sure Waco may be Southern, but Austin is almost NOTHING like Waco. 2 different cities, BOTH cities lie in a transitional area of Texas.
I don't deny that it's southern. But I do deny that it's completely southern.
I have a better question, what does southern characteristic consist of?
I want to see if any of those southern characteristics have affected my life or others around me to an extent.
And guys, don't say "ya'll, pick up trucks, confederate flag, and other things... silly like that...
What are real elements/characteristics that consist of a typical Southerners lifestyle?
I really want to know that. I live in two different regions, so I can directly compare what characteristics affect my life and the lives of thousands of people near me.
So once again guys, tell me, what a Chicagoan (or any other city from another corner of the country) different than a Dallasite? By personality characteristics since we're talking about "Southern" characteristics here.
No one knows what Southern culture is, so most just go by geographic stereotypes(Pine trees, humidity, DENSE forest, etc).
Location: Austin, TX/Chicago, IL/Houston, TX/Washington, DC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by polo89
No one knows what Southern culture is, so most just go by geographic stereotypes(Pine trees, humidity, DENSE forest, etc).
See that doesn't reflect a lifestyle though.
Togography is different in every corner of the country. Then why is it that everything from Miami to Texas is considered south? There's like 3855798357 different land features...
Togography is different in every corner of the country. Then why is it that everything from Miami to Texas is considered south? There's like 3855798357 different land features...
OmShani what do you percieve as southern?
To me, if you take away the oil, coastal vibe, and cajun/creole thing away from Houston, you could easily have a flat Atlanta.
-Some people use topography to define southern, Houston meets that definition.
-Some use accents/dialects and Houston meets that too. Accents are not that neutral in Houston, regardless of race/ethnicity. Unless you're dealing with transplants, can you honestly say that Houstonians sound like Chicagoans?
-Some say food. What is the main diet in Houston? It's southern with some TexMex and Cajun here and there.
really none of the big towns mentioned...big cities don't really feel "southern" so when someone mentions the south, I think of small towns, small streets lined with Antebellum homes...something like Social Circle, GA OR Madison, GA! That's what comes to mind!
What about Charleston? That should be in your poll!
I don't know about you guys, but I classify this whole "Southern" thing differently.
However, Fort Worth, the rodeo capital of Texas is Southern? Geographically is is stated that it's the "Start of the West". Honestly when I think Cowboy, normally that's a western image, like states of Nevada and such.
Do you see rodeo's and cowboys in Mississippi? See what I mean. I do NOT think Fort Worth is Southern. It's more western influenced, IMHO.
Geographically, that makes sense. However that is not necessarily the same as historically and culturally.
This whole "Where the West Begins" thingy (misconception, IMHO) was addressed in an earlier post. Rather than paste the whole thing, here is a link to it if anyone wants to read it:
The main point to be made is that the slogan was never intended to mean one was leaving the South, but rather, leaving the eastern United States.
So far as rodeos and cowboys go, true, this is a trait commonly associated with the western United States. But it needs to be kept in proper perspective a bit. Not withstanding that the prototype of the original Texas cowboy was a product of the Old South drover tradition and habits, not the Mexican vaquero (see Terry Jordans Trails to Texas; Southern roots of western cattle ranching), it was really cotton -- not cattle -- that was king in Texas, and that includes the Ft. Worth area. There is that strong appeal -- the Hollywood westerns are a part of it -- to the individualistic and legendary images of the booming cattle drives and the cowboy and gunfighter, but that wasn't the lifestyle of the average Texan, even residents of Ft. Worth! LOL
It might be worth mentioning too that, from what I have been able to research, is that the whole "Western wear" (i.e. cowboy hats, boots, etc) popularly associated with Texas was not something intrinsic to the states history and culture from early on. Rather, it blossumed and grew largely as a result of those old western movies. More a fad that caught on (and made good advertizing!) around the mid-20th century, than anything existing from the beginning.
Anyway, main point being, certainly the cowboy icon is very real in Texas and deservedly so. And yes, is more in line with images from Colorado and Nevada than Alabama or Tennessee (with the exception of Grand Old Opry country music stars! LOL). But, its high profile in national perception not withstanding, it needs to be kept in proper perspective when it comes to regional affiliation and not overblown. I mean, other aspects of Texas history and culture are just as important -- if not more so -- than cowboys and western wear. And this includes Ft. Worth. Such things as accents, the dominance of the Southern Baptist Church, political patterns, Confederate history and legacies, a black/white duality far more entrenched than is that of comparatively recent hispanic/Mexican influence, etc.
I don't deny that it's southern. But I do deny that it's completely southern.
I have a better question, what does southern characteristic consist of?
I want to see if any of those southern characteristics have affected my life or others around me to an extent.
And guys, don't say "ya'll, pick up trucks, confederate flag, and other things... silly like that...
What are real elements/characteristics that consist of a typical Southerners lifestyle?
I really want to know that. I live in two different regions, so I can directly compare what characteristics affect my life and the lives of thousands of people near me.
So once again guys, tell me, what a Chicagoan (or any other city from another corner of the country) different than a Dallasite? By personality characteristics since we're talking about "Southern" characteristics here.
I don't know that there is any such thing, really (pure lifestyle, that is). The Tennesse mountaineer is going to live a very different lifestyle from the south Mississippi planter. Both different from the south Louisiana swamp rat, and none much like the Texas sod-buster or Virginia gentleman.
But overarching all of this are certainly commonalities of history and culture which easily distinguish all these states from the Midwest, Northeast and Far West in a way which makes it clear the Southern states are a seperate region with much more in common with one another than any other part of the country. Self-identification as living in the South and considering oneself a Southerner is an important one.
I would say Waco is on the Western edge of the very very fuzzy line that divides the South from the Southwest, but that's just me. Honestly, I'm sure it has quite a bit of influences from both the South and the West. I just say Texas is Southcentral. Everyone seems to agree with that.
This is me too. I dont think Waco isnt southern, but its kind of on a dividing line that goes between southern and southwestern. I say the same thing about DFW (only they have some Midwest thrown in too) and the area between Austin and Waco.
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OR Madison, GA! That's what comes to mind! 
