Southern students in the 1960s -- why so conservative?

Question

At a time when university students all over the western world were becoming more liberal and socially conscious, why were the white students of the American South so converative well into the 1960s? Q.V. the riot at Ole Miss.

Answer 1

I think a lot of it had to do with how we were raised in the South. There is a lot to "Southern gentility" and "Southern hospitality" that doesn't have ANYTHING at all to do with sipping mint juleps on the veranda! My parents taught my siblings and me from the time we could walk that blacks were not as smart as we were, not as capable as we were, and frankly, just socially inferior.

At the same time, they taught us, under the guise of that "Southern gentility" that blacks were still people, and we were never to hurt anyone (ha!) but we should keep our distance.

My first grade class was the first year of integration in my school. The whole community was up in arms, and we were cautioned mightily about what to do, and what not to do. Fear drove that caution, because our parents were simply scared of what could happen to us as a result of integration.

I suppose the short answer to your question is impossible -- except to say that many, many years of teaching and culture had molded the Southern society into a way of belief, and, even though integration and desegration was being mandated by the Federal courts, a court cannot change cultural norms so quickly.

Still in the South, where interracial dating and marriage occur very frequently, and homosexuality is no longer extraordinary, you can still hear whispers if you listen in certain circles.

Answer 2

The south was different in many ways; some of this had to do with what happened in the civil war and mistrust. Anything from the outside and especially the north was not acceptable. There probably are many reasons they were conservative into the 60's. The students of the 60's in the south were products of their environment and how their parents brought them up. (not to question authority) Yes sir, no sir etc.

Answer 3

In 1960 i became 15 years of age (in the united kingdom), I had purely began artwork. The 60s have been great, vogue and hairstyles have been extra useful, we've been working so had some money to spend on regardless of we mandatory. The music worldwide became getting extra useful, and there have been astonishing action pictures being made via youthful actors/actress in Hollywood. What do i think of of the Sixties! I purely enjoyed each and every minute of them!

Answer 4

Times, they were a changin' and we were under the gun both figuratively and literally. When your way of live is challenged and it is made clear that it will change, you move carefully because you can be easily destroyed in the process.

Answer 5

The South isn't called the "America's bible belt" for nothing!!