Is there distinctive way of If so, how many southerners adhere to it? Is it dying? In February and March of 1997 the Southern Focus Poll interviewed by telephone 815 residents of states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia) and 407 residents of nonsouthern states. Respondents were asked to answer a few questions about funerals and some of the practices and rituals we have about death and dying. The results are displayed below, along with responses to question about pulling over for funerals, which was asked during an earlier survey. Southerners are than other Americans to have been to services or wakes in private homes, to have been to open-casket services and services involving conspicuous displays of emotion, to have visited cemetery recently, to think about their own death often, and to pull over for funerals. That they are to report the recent death of a close friend or family may suggest inclusive definition of those categories. Cremation may be becoming frequent in the South, but it appears that it will remain less common there than elsewhere for some to come. the South, these southern ways are common in the Deep South, among lifelong residents of the region, and in rural areas. They are also common among frequent churchgoers, usually among women, and among African Americans. (Differences by education, income, and party preference largely reflect differences between blacks and whites.) They are also common among older respondents--except that the young are to think about their own death often. South Nonsouth Have you ever been to wake, viewing, % responding yes or funeral service in someone's private home? 39 28 Was the body of the deceased present? 32 24 Was there an open casket? 30 22 Have you ever been to wake, viewing, or funeral service where people were so upset that they were wailing and moaning? 60 54 Have any of your close relatives ever been cremated? 18 34 Within the past twelve months, has anyone you considered close friend or family member died? 63 54 Do you pull over for funerals? (Fall 1994 Southern Focus Poll; asked only of those with vehicles) 88 79 How do you think it is % responding that you will ask your survivors somewhat likely or to have your body very likely cremated? 38 47 Within the past twelve months, % responding more about how many times did you visit than once cemetery? 50 46 On scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being mean never and 10 being the time, 4.14 3.94 how often would you say you % responding all think about your own the time death? 6 2 AMONG SOUTHERN RESPONDENTS Been to Think Pull viewing of own over(**) in home death Southern total 88% 39% 6% Deep South(*) 90 45 8 Peripheral South 88 37 5 Lived in South life 90 41 6 than ten years 89 41 2 ten years or less 84 31 4 Residence at age 16 South 89 39 6 Non-South 86 34 4 Considers self southerner 90 42 6 Does not 85 33 6 Metropolitan residence 86 39 4 Nonmetropolitan 92 41 8 White 88 41 3 Black 91 32 23 Other 84 33 5 Male 85 42 4 Female 91 37 7 Age 8-24 86 20 10 25-44 87 32 6 45-64 89 52 4 65+ 92 53 4 Education 11th grade or less 92 40 14 high school grad 90 37 7 some college 89 42 3 college grad 84 39 3 Household income under $20,000 89 33 10 $20,000-$40,000 88 40 8 $40,000-$60,000 88 40 3 $60,000+ 84 45 -- National politics Republican 86 40 4 Democrat 93 39 10 Independent 86 39 5 other 93 46 1 Church attendance Never 82 38 5 less than once/week 88 38 6 once/week 89 39 5 than once/week 93 44 7 Cremation unlikely Southern total 62% Deep South(*) 75 Peripheral South 58 Lived in South life 71 than ten years 49 ten years or less 43 Residence at age 16 South 69 Non-South 42 Considers self southerner 70 Does not 43 Metropolitan residence 59 Nonmetropolitan 70 White 62 Black 74 Other 56 Male 60 Female 65 Age 8-24 63 25-44 60 45-64 64 65+ 64 Education 11th grade or less 75 high school grad 69 some college 58 college grad 56 Household income under $20,000 65 $20,000-$40,000 62 $40,000-$60,000 57 $60,000+ 63 National politics Republican 67 Democrat 67 Independent 50 other 42 Church attendance Never 50 less than once/week 60 once/week 66 than once/week 76 (*) Deep South is defined as South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. …
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Mar 6, 2022
Koomin Kim 
Open Access