An Eye for an Eye? A Note on the Southern Subculture of Violence Thesis

Efforts to explain regional variations in rates of violent crime have frequently cited the southern subculture of violence thesis. However, the evidence for the existence of such a subculture has been inconclusive. This study investigates regional differences in the levels and determinants of support for interpersonal violence under defensive or retaliatory circumstances. Using data from the 1983 General Social Survey, this research finds that native southerners are disproportionately inclined to condone defensive or retaliatory forms of violence. There is evidence that the public religious culture of the South may play a significant role in legitimizing these types of violence. Some results are consistent with arguments that interregional migration and cohort substitution are attenuating regional differences in views regarding violence. Several directions for future research on violent attitudes are discussed.