Redneck Reputation

Redneck Reputation
Rednecks have long been considered illiterate, unsophisticated, unrefined, uneducated, inbred, racist members of society, with little or no social, technical, or even functional skills.   This perception or reputation unfortunately overshadows the reality of the abilities and skills they really do have to offer.   Where a person lives, how they act and dress and how they are portrayed in public media creates a persona and reputation, like that of the redneck, which ultimately overshadows the abilities and skills that make them an important link in the chain of society.
Where people choose to live makes a strong statement about how they were raised, what their educational background consisted of, and even what they value and believe in.   People living in rural areas may very well have chosen the locale simply because the cost of living is easier to meet than the cost in more populated metropolitan areas.   Residents in rural communities where incomes may be lower are much more favorable candidates to be publicly considered as part of a redneck culture.   "These…, [a]s well as the national course of redneck, represent rural poverty as a lifestyle choice and as an individualized cultural trait" (Jarosz and Lawson 8).   Many times, where a person chooses to live is a decision that is directly tied to the income level of the family.   Lower incomes obviously result in less favorable or more primitive living conditions such as mobile homes or even travel trailers.   Quality educational opportunities are harder to come by, which in turn helps to create a community of less intelligent, lower skilled workers.   "Poor, white, rural folk in the US are often known in popular culture through terms such as, white trash, crackers, and rednecks" (Jarosz and Lawson 8).   Of particular note is the fact that the authors specify white to be the common race of a redneck, even so far as to refer to them as white trash.   Rural settings, lower income levels, and reduced...