Which states qualify as culturally Southern?

[politicus]

Which states do you consider culturally Southern? How do you define the term?

[politicus]

All except Indiana.

This, though Florida is now somewhat iffy.

Why was Indiana included and not Illinois?  Southern Illinois, especially south of the St.Louis metro area, is as southern as Kentucky.  Silly accents (though dying) and everything.

To be fair, while neither is Southern, Indiana could be more culturally Southern than Illinois since so much of Illinois's population is clustered in the Chicago area.

Yes, that was my thought. The southern parts of both states are often considered Southern, but Illinois is so dominated by Chicagoland, that it would be pointless to include it in the poll.

How do you define the term?

I was hoping someone would try to answer the above. What does Southern culture actually mean today?

[politicus]

Certainly some southerners hunt, but I'd agree with you that it's more of a midwestern/western thing.  Hunting is very big around here (dear, turkey, pheasant) and it was kind of big in suburban St.Louis where I grew up (mostly just dear).  Dear in the south tend to be smaller 'cause of the heat.

...and every kind of person goes camping.

[politicus]

A lot of VA isn't southern, especially in central VA(Charlottesville etc.)

How do you define Southern in this context?

[politicus]

As for the question, obviously states are heterogeneous creatures, but even if they weren't, fitting a cultural model isn't a binary thing.

The thing I was interested in was what Southern culture is in a modern context, and the extent of it existing outside of a few relatively rural deep South states. It is a very vaguely defined thing and yet people seem to take it for granted. Of course cultural definitions are always vague and ambiguous, but Southerness is interesting in that there seems to be so little to base it on apart from increasingly less relevant history and a few superficial characteristics.

The poll was just for fun. But probably a dumb idea to include it.

[politicus]

As for the question, obviously states are heterogeneous creatures, but even if they weren't, fitting a cultural model isn't a binary thing.

The thing I was interested in was what Southern culture is in a modern context, and the extent of it existing outside of a few relatively rural deep South states. It is a very vaguely defined thing and yet people seem to take it for granted. Of course cultural definitions are always vague and ambiguous, but Southerness is interesting in that there seems to be so little to base it on apart from increasingly less relevant history and a few superficial characteristics.

The poll was just for fun. But probably a dumb idea to include it.

Accent and religion are also two other big things.

Accent was one of the superficial things I was thinking about. A specific approach (for lack of a better word) to religion is true.

[politicus]

Depends on the definition of "Southern", doesn't it?

Yes, Captain Obvious, which is why I asked how you would define the term in the OP.