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Abstract: Cultural difference also exists among people living in the same country. This paper would give a brief introduction to the differences between northern and southern culture in the U.S., exploring their origins and influences.
Key Words: cultural differenceorigininfluence
We all know that, as the country develops, each section forms interests and traits fitting its particular geography or stage of evolution. Historically, from the beginning, the settlement of Americans was divided into two streams, with one in the south and the other in New England, which in turn shapes the nature of the region and to a degree the character of the people and results in the culture difference between the North and the South in the U.S. This paper would give a brief introduction to the differences between northern and southern culture, exploring their origins and influences.
People would think that everywhere in the United States is fairly uniform, but that’s far from the case. In fact the northern and southern cultures are very different. These differences may result in different ways in dealing with things between the northerners and southerners. Northerners are generally regarded as direct, efficient and honest. They are good at using language to convey meanings, but since the language is so direct, they generally speak faster and are considered as rude. For example, when meeting strangers, they don't care about strangers. This is mostly because no one has the time to meet every single person and pass judgment on them individually. When you say hello to a northerner, they are wondering who you are and what you want and will say directly, “Who are you, and what do you want?” It’s not because they're rude, but because they are more straightforward. Northerners
While southerners are comparatively slower and more subtle and indirect. They are completely different when it comes to talking to strangers. They may not ask you “Who are you and what do you want?” directly, but instead they will be delighted to say hello back to you and make polite chat. The difference is that southerners want to figure this out for themselves rather than just ask. The prevailing characteristic of southern culture is indirect communication and the reason why they speak slowly is because every sentence conveys twice as much information.
What results in the difference? Several factors may contribute to it, such as geography, climate, economic patterns, the backgrounds of the colonists and urban development. These factors are interrelated, shaping the nature of the region and the character of the people, thus resulting in the culture difference.
Geographically, the natural conditions are very important, because they dictate difference in natural vegetation, in the kinds of crops that could be grown, and ultimately in the way of life. As the result of the glacial movement, the soils in the south contain a large volume of forest humus and are suitable for plantation. The plantation system makes slavery profitable in the south. Furthermore the climate in the south is humid subtropical, with humid summers, a long growing season and mild winters. The temperature moderates, with far-reaching impact on human settlement. The settlers could grow a variety of valuable subtropical crops, such as tobacco and cotton, among which cotton is the most profitable one. It is the cotton cultivation that gives foundation of the plantation system in the south. It makes the southern economy center on plantation. Until the early twentieth century, the south had a monopoly on the world cotton trade. And the enormous demands for cotton made cotton cultivation more profitable, so those who had large part of cotton land grew rich and they bought large tracts of lands, while poor whites toiled for them as indentured servants, and then obtained small farms. They lived without fixed settlements, thus the south shaped a rural, loosely patterned society. They made their plantations self-sufficient economic units, with their own stores and artisans. The smaller farmers formed a loose society of ‘neighborhoods’. The south planters set up a decentralized society held together by slender stands of interdependence. The semi-feudal plantation system discouraged the growth of cities and towns, the urban development in the south. The governmental, religious, and trading center of the south didn’t grow into towns, so that the south remained an overwhelming rural region and more conservative. As plantation needed a lot of labor forces, slaves were largely imported from African or the West Indies. There were large numbers of slaves in the south and the south culture was infused with deep black impact, such as the black dialect and black music. Correspondingly, the existence of a large slave-labor force discouraged the immigration of free white labor that had begin to arrive in large number in the north, and the white southern population remained largely Anglo-Saxon in ethnic ancestry. The south was affected little by the immigration waves. The south isn’t as democratic as the north. It is the uniqueness mentioned above that makes the southern culture differs from that of the north.
In contrast with the south, the north is a more religious, more urbanized and industrialized region. Geographically, the soils in the north used to be very good, but the weathered layer was removed by glaciers, which made the surface with sand, and gravel.And the climate in the north is continental. The growing season is very short, and the winter is prolonged and fiercely cold. It is not good for farming. But the fact which is the problem to the farming put an aid to the development of industry. People here were watching out for other possibilities of making a living and they eventually made their home the workshop of the nation. Furthermore Puritanism is also a very important formative influence on the northern culture. Unlike the early settlers who went to the south for gold, most of the first settlers coming to the north were Pilgrims and Puritans, deeply religious people anxious to escape the domination and corruption they found in England. They objected to the “popery” and corruption of the Church of England and came there for religious freedom. They wanted to build a purified religious society. Puritanism is a very important formative influence on the northern culture. The Pilgrims were a closely united group. They chose to live in a group or community. They agreed to obey society’s law and the church. They sincerely believed that they were doing the God’s work. They believed that people were predestined by God before they were born. Some of them were God’ s chosen people while others were predestined to go to the hell. So they work hard and spent little, trying to be elected by God. They also believed that they should read Bible to find the God’s will and to keep individual contact with God. In order to read Bible, they emphasized on education. This explained why the country’s greatest universities and many of its finest colleges are concentrated in the north. Education, hard work, family, community, and church were central in the region. Generally speaking, the north was more religious, more thickly settled, and more jealous of its independence from British control than the south. So the urban development in the north was much quicker. In addition, unlike in the south, there were many individual farmers and very few slaves in the north, large landed estates had been established and a capitalist or business class had come to be highly developed in the major cities. Industry was developed in the north. Moreover, the influence of the immigrants was greatest in the north, particularly in its industrial cities. On one hand, these immigrants acted as the labor-force to exploit the natural resources and help to urbanize the north. On the other hand, they also tended to reinforce old patterns, so the regional emphasis on education and the intellectual life has continued to be fostered. Politics continued to be seen in highly moralistic terms, and the region responded more than others to liberal and internationalists appeals.
The advantage of northern culture is honesty and efficiency. If you like someone, you tell them that you like them. If you hate them, you make sure they know that too. While the southern culture is that of mutually veiled understanding. Southerners have a specific objective with most everything that they say, and you need to learn how to discern it. Confrontational language, sarcasm, and honesty are used far less in the south than they are in the north. It is hard to define which one is good or bad, because each culture has its origins and characteristics.. But a good understanding of the difference will prepare you for the cultural shock and feel more comfortable in a new culture. When you are in the north, learn to be direct and honest when you really need to convey important information. When you are in the south, try to understand what southerners are really saying.
References:
〔1〕王宗炎, 顾嘉祖，郑立信. American English and American Culture. Hunan Education Press. 1993.
〔2〕玛丽安娜.卡尼. 戴特斯曼，乔安. 克来德尔。美国文化背景。世界图书出版公司，2006
Key Words: cultural differenceorigininfluence
We all know that, as the country develops, each section forms interests and traits fitting its particular geography or stage of evolution. Historically, from the beginning, the settlement of Americans was divided into two streams, with one in the south and the other in New England, which in turn shapes the nature of the region and to a degree the character of the people and results in the culture difference between the North and the South in the U.S. This paper would give a brief introduction to the differences between northern and southern culture, exploring their origins and influences.
People would think that everywhere in the United States is fairly uniform, but that’s far from the case. In fact the northern and southern cultures are very different. These differences may result in different ways in dealing with things between the northerners and southerners. Northerners are generally regarded as direct, efficient and honest. They are good at using language to convey meanings, but since the language is so direct, they generally speak faster and are considered as rude. For example, when meeting strangers, they don't care about strangers. This is mostly because no one has the time to meet every single person and pass judgment on them individually. When you say hello to a northerner, they are wondering who you are and what you want and will say directly, “Who are you, and what do you want?” It’s not because they're rude, but because they are more straightforward. Northerners
While southerners are comparatively slower and more subtle and indirect. They are completely different when it comes to talking to strangers. They may not ask you “Who are you and what do you want?” directly, but instead they will be delighted to say hello back to you and make polite chat. The difference is that southerners want to figure this out for themselves rather than just ask. The prevailing characteristic of southern culture is indirect communication and the reason why they speak slowly is because every sentence conveys twice as much information.
What results in the difference? Several factors may contribute to it, such as geography, climate, economic patterns, the backgrounds of the colonists and urban development. These factors are interrelated, shaping the nature of the region and the character of the people, thus resulting in the culture difference.
Geographically, the natural conditions are very important, because they dictate difference in natural vegetation, in the kinds of crops that could be grown, and ultimately in the way of life. As the result of the glacial movement, the soils in the south contain a large volume of forest humus and are suitable for plantation. The plantation system makes slavery profitable in the south. Furthermore the climate in the south is humid subtropical, with humid summers, a long growing season and mild winters. The temperature moderates, with far-reaching impact on human settlement. The settlers could grow a variety of valuable subtropical crops, such as tobacco and cotton, among which cotton is the most profitable one. It is the cotton cultivation that gives foundation of the plantation system in the south. It makes the southern economy center on plantation. Until the early twentieth century, the south had a monopoly on the world cotton trade. And the enormous demands for cotton made cotton cultivation more profitable, so those who had large part of cotton land grew rich and they bought large tracts of lands, while poor whites toiled for them as indentured servants, and then obtained small farms. They lived without fixed settlements, thus the south shaped a rural, loosely patterned society. They made their plantations self-sufficient economic units, with their own stores and artisans. The smaller farmers formed a loose society of ‘neighborhoods’. The south planters set up a decentralized society held together by slender stands of interdependence. The semi-feudal plantation system discouraged the growth of cities and towns, the urban development in the south. The governmental, religious, and trading center of the south didn’t grow into towns, so that the south remained an overwhelming rural region and more conservative. As plantation needed a lot of labor forces, slaves were largely imported from African or the West Indies. There were large numbers of slaves in the south and the south culture was infused with deep black impact, such as the black dialect and black music. Correspondingly, the existence of a large slave-labor force discouraged the immigration of free white labor that had begin to arrive in large number in the north, and the white southern population remained largely Anglo-Saxon in ethnic ancestry. The south was affected little by the immigration waves. The south isn’t as democratic as the north. It is the uniqueness mentioned above that makes the southern culture differs from that of the north.
In contrast with the south, the north is a more religious, more urbanized and industrialized region. Geographically, the soils in the north used to be very good, but the weathered layer was removed by glaciers, which made the surface with sand, and gravel.And the climate in the north is continental. The growing season is very short, and the winter is prolonged and fiercely cold. It is not good for farming. But the fact which is the problem to the farming put an aid to the development of industry. People here were watching out for other possibilities of making a living and they eventually made their home the workshop of the nation. Furthermore Puritanism is also a very important formative influence on the northern culture. Unlike the early settlers who went to the south for gold, most of the first settlers coming to the north were Pilgrims and Puritans, deeply religious people anxious to escape the domination and corruption they found in England. They objected to the “popery” and corruption of the Church of England and came there for religious freedom. They wanted to build a purified religious society. Puritanism is a very important formative influence on the northern culture. The Pilgrims were a closely united group. They chose to live in a group or community. They agreed to obey society’s law and the church. They sincerely believed that they were doing the God’s work. They believed that people were predestined by God before they were born. Some of them were God’ s chosen people while others were predestined to go to the hell. So they work hard and spent little, trying to be elected by God. They also believed that they should read Bible to find the God’s will and to keep individual contact with God. In order to read Bible, they emphasized on education. This explained why the country’s greatest universities and many of its finest colleges are concentrated in the north. Education, hard work, family, community, and church were central in the region. Generally speaking, the north was more religious, more thickly settled, and more jealous of its independence from British control than the south. So the urban development in the north was much quicker. In addition, unlike in the south, there were many individual farmers and very few slaves in the north, large landed estates had been established and a capitalist or business class had come to be highly developed in the major cities. Industry was developed in the north. Moreover, the influence of the immigrants was greatest in the north, particularly in its industrial cities. On one hand, these immigrants acted as the labor-force to exploit the natural resources and help to urbanize the north. On the other hand, they also tended to reinforce old patterns, so the regional emphasis on education and the intellectual life has continued to be fostered. Politics continued to be seen in highly moralistic terms, and the region responded more than others to liberal and internationalists appeals.
The advantage of northern culture is honesty and efficiency. If you like someone, you tell them that you like them. If you hate them, you make sure they know that too. While the southern culture is that of mutually veiled understanding. Southerners have a specific objective with most everything that they say, and you need to learn how to discern it. Confrontational language, sarcasm, and honesty are used far less in the south than they are in the north. It is hard to define which one is good or bad, because each culture has its origins and characteristics.. But a good understanding of the difference will prepare you for the cultural shock and feel more comfortable in a new culture. When you are in the north, learn to be direct and honest when you really need to convey important information. When you are in the south, try to understand what southerners are really saying.
References:
〔1〕王宗炎, 顾嘉祖，郑立信. American English and American Culture. Hunan Education Press. 1993.
〔2〕玛丽安娜.卡尼. 戴特斯曼，乔安. 克来德尔。美国文化背景。世界图书出版公司，2006