---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Southerners are also like ethnic groups…"
description: "\"Southerners are also like ethnic groups in that they have a sense of group identity.\" — John Shelton Reed"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/john-shelton-reed-21912_also_southerners-are-also-like-ethnic-groups_601792.jpg"
---

#  Southerners are also like ethnic groups in that they have…

![“Southerners are also like ethnic groups in that they have a sense of group identity.” quote by John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/john-shelton-reed-21912_also_southerners-are-also-like-ethnic-groups_601792.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/john-shelton-reed-21912_also_southerners-are-also-like-ethnic-groups_601792.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/john-shelton-reed-21912_also_southerners-are-also-like-ethnic-groups_601792.jpg)

> “Southerners are also like ethnic groups in that they have a sense of group identity.”

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Southerners share a strong group identity similar to ethnic groups, shaping their culture.

**In simple terms:** Southerners have a distinct collective identity.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge regional identity’s influence on behavior.

Themes

regional identity culture group dynamics ethnicity

Mood

analytical neutral

Type

sociological observational

When to use this quote

- political campaigns
- community events
- family traditions
- media representation

Key Concepts

sociology identity politics regionalism

Questions to Reflect On

- How does regional identity affect personal choices?
- In what ways can we respect regional differences?

A Different Perspective

Regional stereotypes can oversimplify diversity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ethnic groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethnic-groups/) [Group identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/group-identity/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/)

## Related quotes

> [“Well, Southerners like to eat well. You see, it's an event when it's done right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-shaw/well-southerners-like-to-eat-well-you-see-it-s-an-event-when-it-s/)

Stan Shaw

> [To Southerners like my mother, 'Gone With the Wind' was not just a book; it was an answer, a clenched fist raised to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/to-southerners-like-my-mother-gone-with-the-wind-was-not-just-a-book/)

[Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/)

> [I guess I'm just courtly until people get in my way. You'll find most Southerners are like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/i-guess-i-m-just-courtly-until-people-get-in-my-way-you-ll-find-most/)

[Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/)

> [If you had to eat another human to survive, do you think they'd taste like their ethnic background?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tosh/if-you-had-to-eat-another-human-to-survive-do-you-think-they-d-taste/)

[Daniel Tosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tosh/)

> [Soccer is growing more and more in the U.S. There are many growing ethnic groups in this country, they are going to bring their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jozy-altidore/soccer-is-growing-more-and-more-in-the-u-s-there-are-many-growing/)

[Jozy Altidore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jozy-altidore/)

> [The harshness and choice of words can cut deeply. Republicans need to show compassion and to be reasonable when talking to any ethnic group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-bonilla/the-harshness-and-choice-of-words-can-cut-deeply-republicans-need-to/)

[Henry Bonilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-bonilla/)

> [I like the idea of a love story between men. There is a great affection between men, which exists much more in ethnic groups:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-glimcher/i-like-the-idea-of-a-love-story-between-men-there-is-a-great/)

[Arne Glimcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-glimcher/)

> [People just think Africa is this one thing. So if you're from Nigeria, then you're the same as somebody from Kenya; not realizing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/people-just-think-africa-is-this-one-thing-so-if-you-re-from-nigeria/)

[Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/)

> [You can't call yourself a university and exclude whole ethnic groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-seale/you-can-t-call-yourself-a-university-and-exclude-whole-ethnic-groups/)

[Bobby Seale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-seale/)

> [I was an equal opportunity eater. Every ethnic group got a shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-was-an-equal-opportunity-eater-every-ethnic-group-got-a-shot/)

[William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/)

> [That is the American experiment. An ethnic group arriving on America's shores, to be reviled and hazed, living in squalor, or if they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/that-is-the-american-experiment-an-ethnic-group-arriving-on-america-s/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [There are two kinds of people I cannot abide: bigots and any well-organized ethnic group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-i-cannot-abide-bigots-and-any-well/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [For me, God's country is sirens and subways and all kinds of ethnic groups trying to cross the street all at once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dion-dimucci/for-me-god-s-country-is-sirens-and-subways-and-all-kinds-of-ethnic/)

[Dion DiMucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dion-dimucci/)

> [The two ethnic groups that remain fundamentally different from the Han Chinese - in terms of history, culture, language, religion and physical appearance -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/the-two-ethnic-groups-that-remain-fundamentally-different-from-the/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [Every ethnic group thinks they are the chosen ones. …](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-pekar/every-ethnic-group-thinks-they-are-the-chosen-ones/)

[Harvey Pekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-pekar/)

## More by John Shelton Reed

> [Drive a hundred miles and the barbecue changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/drive-a-hundred-miles-and-the-barbecue-changes/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [As long as there are Japanese tourists, there will be a market for the Old South.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/as-long-as-there-are-japanese-tourists-there-will-be-a-market-for-the/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [I do believe states' rights was a sound doctrine that got hijacked by some unsavory customers for a while - like, 150 years or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/i-do-believe-states-rights-was-a-sound-doctrine-that-got-hijacked-by/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [We could say that people who eat grits, listen to country music, follow stock-car racing, support corporal punishment in the schools, hunt 'possum, go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/we-could-say-that-people-who-eat-grits-listen-to-country-music-follow/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [The South is like my favorite pair of blue jeans. It's shrunk some, faded a bit, got a few holes in it. it just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/the-south-is-like-my-favorite-pair-of-blue-jeans-it-s-shrunk-some/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [But I still do believe that there are useful things to say about Elvis Presley, including what his own ordinariness as a poor Southerner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/but-i-still-do-believe-that-there-are-useful-things-to-say-about/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [Why can I write 'South' with some assurance that you'll know I mean Richmond and don't mean Phoenix? What is it that the South's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/why-can-i-write-south-with-some-assurance-that-you-ll-know-i-mean/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [If you care to define the South as a poor, rural region with lousy race relations, that South survives only in geographical shreds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/if-you-care-to-define-the-south-as-a-poor-rural-region-with-lousy/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [There's an ethic that says: 'You don't run off to the church for the sacraments of salvation, you establish a personal relationship with God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/there-s-an-ethic-that-says-you-don-t-run-off-to-the-church-for-the/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [Southern barbecue is the closest thing we have in the U.S. to Europe's wines or cheeses; drive a hundred miles and the barbecue changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/southern-barbecue-is-the-closest-thing-we-have-in-the-u-s-to-europe-s/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [Dixie has just fallen to pieces. There are little patches of Dixie. But even in the heart of Dixie - in Alabama - Dixie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/dixie-has-just-fallen-to-pieces-there-are-little-patches-of-dixie-but/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [Southerners smile more than other Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/southerners-smile-more-than-other-americans/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [Southerners will be polite until they are angry enough to kill you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/southerners-will-be-polite-until-they-are-angry-enough-to-kill-you/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [The nature of the South is changing faster than the stereotypes are. Much of the South now looks like San Jose. Is it still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/the-nature-of-the-south-is-changing-faster-than-the-stereotypes-are/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

> [You ask people what their ethnicity is, and a lot of Scots-Irish people either don't know or if they know it they just don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/you-ask-people-what-their-ethnicity-is-and-a-lot-of-scots-irish/)

[John Shelton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

[Explore all 28 John Shelton Reed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/)

## More Also quotes

> [I'm a workaholic, but I also like to vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrueche-tran/i-m-a-workaholic-but-i-also-like-to-vacation/)

[Karrueche Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrueche-tran/)

> [I've also directed, shot, and edited several music videos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-king/i-ve-also-directed-shot-and-edited-several-music-videos/)

[Richard King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-king/)

> [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/)

[Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/)

> [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/)

[Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/)

> [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/)

[Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/)

> [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/)

[Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/)

> [With all the technology we're inventing and what they're coming up with scientifically, people are having longer lifetimes. It's scary, but in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-murphy/with-all-the-technology-we-re-inventing-and-what-they-re-coming-up/)

[Brittany Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-murphy/)

> [I like 'The Usual Suspects'. Great film. I also like 'Scarface', films like that. Lots of gangster films. I really like watching all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkhad-abdi/i-like-the-usual-suspects-great-film-i-also-like-scarface-films-like/)

[Barkhad Abdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkhad-abdi/)

> [I'm in 'Madagascar 2.' I'm Testy the Lion. The franchise moves to Africa, and Bernie Mac is also in the film. I loved working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lister-jr/i-m-in-madagascar-2-i-m-testy-the-lion-the-franchise-moves-to-africa/)

[Tom Lister, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lister-jr/)

> [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [I always like to look for adventure when I go away. I have gone on several horse adventures with my wife - from Guangxi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/i-always-like-to-look-for-adventure-when-i-go-away-i-have-gone-on/)

[Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/)

> [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/)

[Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/)

> [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/)

[Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/)

> [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/)

[Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/)

Browse all 3,822 Also quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Southerners are also like ethnic groups in that they have a sense of group identity.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Shelton Reed"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/southerners-are-also-like-ethnic-groups-in-that-they-have-a-sense-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Also"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/southerners-are-also-like-ethnic-groups-in-that-they-have-a-sense-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/john-shelton-reed-21912_also_southerners-are-also-like-ethnic-groups_601792.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/john-shelton-reed-21912_also_southerners-are-also-like-ethnic-groups_601792.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/john-shelton-reed-21912_also_southerners-are-also-like-ethnic-groups_601792.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Southerners are also like ethnic groups in that they have a sense of group identity.” — John Shelton Reed",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Shelton Reed",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelton-reed/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Southerners are also like ethnic groups...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/southerners-are-also-like-ethnic-groups-in-that-they-have-a-sense-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelton-reed/southerners-are-also-like-ethnic-groups-in-that-they-have-a-sense-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
