Northern Discourse vs. Southern Discourse
“All of us, through…early life in the home and peer group, acquire one initial
discourse” (Gee). This initial discourse is what shapes and molds discourse
throughout our lives, and it affects how we act around others from childhood into
adulthood. The purpose of this study was to discover the discourse differences
between states in the Northern United States versus states in the Southern United
States, more specifically Maryland and North Carolina, and how this discourse is
affected by one’s primary discourse. Research was conducted through observations,
interviews, and secondary data sources such as online resources. My research
focused on both verbal and nonverbal discourse similarities and differences.
Verbal discourse between individuals in Maryland and North Carolina
differed from person to person. The largest noticeable difference between
individuals in Maryland and North Carolina were the different accents that each
possessed. According to an interview with UNCC student Sarah Twilling on a recent
trip to Maryland, “…hardly anyone had accents, Northern or Southern.” More people
that were interviewed from Charlotte had a thicker accent than those from
Maryland, but some individuals also possessed no accent at all. Intensity and
potential for accent was therefore shown to be based off of location within the state,
not only by location in the state itself. It is also commonly known that many
individuals in northern regions of the United States tend to drop their R’s and add
on vowels to certain words (Delaney). Verbal discourse also varied state to state in
the use of daily language. Words that were commonly used by individuals in North
Carolina, such as “y’all” and “stogie” were hardly used by individuals residing in
Maryland. Overall however, daily vocabulary used by both individuals in Maryland
and individuals in North Carolina did not vary much.
Nonverbal discourse varied slightly more than verbal between the two states.
Differences were prominent in interviews conducted between individuals from
North Carolina and Maryland. Many people living in North Carolina were shown to
speak of their family and friends, while those from Maryland spoke of their own
interests and hobbies (Meier). In observations of customers and servers between
restaurants in Maryland and North Carolina, those in the restaurant in Charlotte
were noticeably more polite and attentive. Men in a restaurant in North Carolina
were known to hold the door open for women more often, and the servers were
much more attentive to their customers. However, in observations conducted on
two young men, the level of comfort that existed between individuals also affected
how polite they were to others. Those from Maryland were also shown to be “more
vocal with their opinions, good or bad.”
Throughout this project, I believed that my research would prove most
stereotypes of Northerners and Southerners to be true. Stereotypes such as
southern gentlemen, southern belles, and rude northerners have been my basis for
thinking for majority of my life. However, further research into the topic proved my
hypothesis to be mainly wrong. I discovered that while these stereotypes may be
true occasionally, they mainly affect and alter people’s perceptions of individuals
living in certain states. These stereotypes are kept up and maintained by people due
to ignorance and inexperience, mainly by those who have never traveled from North
to south or vice versa, and have not experienced how similar each culture is to one
another. I believe that level of overall politeness is based off of not location by state,
but location by living conditions such as rural, urban, or suburban. Those in major
cities are more often rude and rushed, while those who live rurally are more likely
to have better interaction and social skills. Individual’s personalities varied between
those in Maryland and North Carolina, but there were also those who possessed
similar personalities between states. In conclusion, stereotypes of certain groups of
people and their discourses are often perceived incorrectly, and may create negative
connotations of certain people within those discourse communities.