Revisiting the southern culture of violence
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2007
Abstract
This analysis revisits the Southern culture of violence thesis. Several limitations of prior research are addressed by probing for a cultural influence on situation- and race-specific rates of homicide in both rural and urban communities. Negative binomial regression analyses of county-level homicide and census data indicate that the density of Southern-born whites is positively associated with white argument-based homicide rates in rural areas. When this relationship is examined outside of the spatial boundaries of the South - a critical test for a regionally based cultural influence on violence - the results are identical. We interpret these findings as suggestive of a cultural influence and situate them in a discussion of the broader theoretical state of research on regional variations in violence. © 2007 Midwest Sociological Society.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Sociological Quarterly
First Page
253
Last Page
275
Recommended Citation
Lee, M., Bankston, W., Hayes, T., & Thomas, S. (2007). Revisiting the southern culture of violence. Sociological Quarterly, 48 (2), 253-275. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-8525.2007.00078.x