Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Criminal Justice and Criminology
Date of Award
5-2024
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Jennifer Pealer
Committee Members
Dustin Osborne, Nicole Prior
Abstract
The culture of honor theory proposed by Nisbett and Cohen (1996) addresses the historically higher rates of violent crime in the Southern United States, as well as the disparities that can be observed in the laws, beliefs, and social expectations between the South and other regions. Previous research has reported significant differences between the beliefs of acceptable violence among Southerners compared to non-Southerners; however, no research has been conducted comparing different demographic groups of Southerners. The current study sought to evaluate whether there were observable differences between various demographic attributes such as gender, race, age, educational attainment, political affiliation, prior law enforcement or military experience, and adherence to the culture of honor. It was found that there is a statistically significant relationship between experience in the military/law enforcement and culture of honor adherence, as well as statistical significance between an individual’s political affiliation and adherence to culture of honor beliefs.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Cohen, Rachel, "An Exploratory Study of the Southern Subculture of Honor in East Tennessee" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4411. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4411
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.