The Resilience of Southern Identity

Why the South Still Matters in the Minds of Its People

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Customs & Traditions, History, Americas, United States, Political Science
Cover of the book The Resilience of Southern Identity by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts ISBN: 9781469631066
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: February 1, 2017
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
ISBN: 9781469631066
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: February 1, 2017
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

The American South has experienced remarkable change over the past half century. Black voter registration has increased, the region's politics have shifted from one-party Democratic to the near-domination of the Republican Party, and in-migration has increased its population manyfold. At the same time, many outward signs of regional distinctiveness have faded--chain restaurants have replaced mom-and-pop diners, and the interstate highway system connects the region to the rest of the country. Given all of these changes, many have argued that southern identity is fading. But here, Christopher A. Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts show how these changes have allowed for new types of southern identity to emerge. For some, identification with the South has become more about a connection to the region's folkways or to place than about policy or ideology. For others, the contemporary South is all of those things at once--a place where many modern-day southerners navigate the region's confusing and omnipresent history.

Regardless of how individuals see the South, this study argues that the region's drastic political, racial, and cultural changes have not lessened the importance of southern identity but have played a key role in keeping regional identification relevant in the twenty-first century.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The American South has experienced remarkable change over the past half century. Black voter registration has increased, the region's politics have shifted from one-party Democratic to the near-domination of the Republican Party, and in-migration has increased its population manyfold. At the same time, many outward signs of regional distinctiveness have faded--chain restaurants have replaced mom-and-pop diners, and the interstate highway system connects the region to the rest of the country. Given all of these changes, many have argued that southern identity is fading. But here, Christopher A. Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts show how these changes have allowed for new types of southern identity to emerge. For some, identification with the South has become more about a connection to the region's folkways or to place than about policy or ideology. For others, the contemporary South is all of those things at once--a place where many modern-day southerners navigate the region's confusing and omnipresent history.

Regardless of how individuals see the South, this study argues that the region's drastic political, racial, and cultural changes have not lessened the importance of southern identity but have played a key role in keeping regional identification relevant in the twenty-first century.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book Moderates by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book Lumbee Indians in the Jim Crow South by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book Redeeming the South by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book Sorting Out the New South City by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book Hermogenes' On Types of Style by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book Southern Cultures by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book The Trouble with Minna by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book The Basis of Progressive Evolution by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book Making Black Los Angeles by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book One Fantastic Ride by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book Don Carlos Buell by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book The Look of Things by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
Cover of the book Virtus Romana by Christopher A. Cooper, H. Gibbs Knotts
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy