Bridgewater of Virginia History of the South (HIS 362) Fall, Dr. Longenecker Assignment on Southern Distinctiveness

A Distinctive South? National and Regional Attitudes about Race Source: Washington Post, July 14-17, 1996

Speech

When you were growing up, did your parents teach you:

Interviewers coded at the end of the survey whether respondents spoke with a southern accent. Here’s what thay found:

How often do you hear people say:

Religion

Do you consider yourself as evangelical or Born-again Christian? Percentage ansering yes.

“The United States is a Christian Country, and the government should make laws to keep it that way.” Percentage answering “yes.”

Jesus will return to earth one day. Percentage answering “yes.”

Is the devil real? Percentage answering “yes.”

Are angels real? Percentage answering “yes.”

Which of these statements comes closest to describing your feelings about the Bible: the Bible is the actual word of godand is to be take literally, word for word; the Bible is the inspired word of god but not everything in it should be taken literally, word for word; or the bible is an anciety book of fables, legends, history and mormoral precepts recorded by men?

Percentage who would remove an anti-religious book from the library.

Percentage who would prohibit someone who actively opposed religion to teach in a college or university.

Attitudes about Race

How big a problem is racism in our society today?

Do you think racism is a bigger problem or smaller problem in the South than it is in other parts of the country?

Are you in favor of integration, strict segregation, or something in-between?

Agree or disagree. There should be no offical use of the Confederate flag by state and local governments. (Shown percentage who agree)

Do you think that the1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board, was right or wrong?

Education

Do you think that integrated schools are necessary to insure that all students have an equal chance at a good education, or is integration not as important as making sure that each community or neighborhood school provides good education?

Which region do you think has the best schools?

Economic Levels

Educational Levels High School Diplomas

Educational Levels College Degrees

Cost of Living Median Family Income, in thousands

Cost of Living Median Sales Price of a New House, in thousands