Need some help from southerners here.

[janterry]

24. Regional Differences

I think there are some regional differences, though - of course, not everyone conforms to that!

I grew up in NY and lived in MA and moved to N. FL (and worked in areas that are really the 'deep' South - very rural, and often quite poor).

There were, in the places that I worked, certain expectations about people - most having to do with being Christian and others about gender roles. I think that many 'outliers' (non-Christians - even feminists , live in those areas - but having grown up in the area, they sort of find a way into the landscape of the town. Often, they are described through their relationships with others (the brother-in-law or great niece of so-and-so), and because they can contextualize them as neighbors - or the relations of 'neighbors,' they have a way of discussing them and their 'otherness' with some level of respect. IME - and in these areas, people often need time to find a way to understand 'otherness.'

I was always just the Yankee, who didn't quite belong.......and we didn't much discuss MY religion (though I heard quite a bit about theirs). They were nice and respectful, but they needed a way to grapple with my 'otherness.' I guess we both settled on the fact that I really didn't fit in.

In the North, the back story isn't as important. People sort of take you without your history - feminist or not, christian or not. I realize that's also a broad generalization of the North (so, it sure doesn't fit for everyone!), but those are my initial thoughts..............