in accent. But do these questions comprise a set of sociocultural
distinctions truly relevant to the construction of definitions of “North” and
“South”? Between real Southern and half-hearted or make-believe
Southern?
In this questionnaire, most stereotypes about the South are represented
one or more times. The pollster is looking for Southern/Non-Southern
distinctions based on religious and cultural practices and beliefs, so that
real Southerners – those who will admit to having “strong” accents – are
the ones who eat chitlins and moon pies, drive an American car to church
on Sunday mornings while other, less Southern types are at home eating
bagels and lox.
Something to note: In comparing the polls in Figure 11.5 and Figure
11.6, it becomes clear that perceptions differ very little in matters having
to do with stereotype. About 50 percent of both groups find Gone with the
Wind relevant to a definition of the South (but what if they factored race
into the analysis? Would the preference hold true?). This is a clear
demonstration of the strength and durability of stereotypes in defining
both self and other.
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