3 ms·

Where I’m from in the South, having a notably Southern accent is a tell that you grew up in a lower class family and area, and all that goes with it (like havin

Where I’m from in the South, having a notably Southern accent is a tell that you grew up in a lower class family and area, and all that goes with it (like having less education). Obviously it doesn’t mean you’re stupid, but regarding education and workforce readiness (a lot of Southern communities have very low workforce participation rates, and almost no white collar jobs outside government) it’s a Bayes rule thing. So I would dispute the causation here - it’s not the accent itself that reduces wages, but being from a poorer family without much exposure to the corporate world that does. Though of course, even aspects of the mild accent I do have invite unwanted attention sometimes, so it’s no surprise people with much stronger accents would code switch and conceal it.

viscanti 3y ago
It can be a Bayes rule thing where they're statistically less likely to participate in white collar work, but it could also be biases in companies who believe a candidate is less educated if they have a strong regional accent. The article suggests that some candidates attempt to hide their accents and have better luck with that.
- opportune 3y ago
  It’s not just likelihood to participate in white collar work, at least IME having a stronger accent correlates with all sorts of behavior which makes you less able to navigate a typical US corporate environment. I’m thinking things like growing up in a family with no white collar workers (and thus not being exposed to the distinct social etiquette of the white collar workforce), having strong political and religious views that are at odds with the white collar norm, how you prioritize work vs family. And certainly education - you may get a degree but typically standards at <southern flagship university where people come from a typically more educated background> are different from <regional southern university>. Class distinctions in the South run deep
akiselev 3y ago
That sounds more likely, especially given the stats later in the article: > Another recent study found that 38% of job seekers admitted to "softening" their regional accents during interviews because of negative stereotypes. > This study by the Writing Tips Institute found that applicants with a Southern accent were the fourth most likely to change their voice. People from Western New England, South Midland and New Jersey were the most likely to alter their accents. It just sounds like people with Southern accents and their guidance counselors haven't figured it out yet.
- TrevorAustin 3y ago
  It sounds like this isn't a Southern phenomenon at all, and is just framed that way to rile up the Fox Business audience. Having a strong regional accent, or more accurately, being unable to turn off your strong regional accent, is just a class marker.

viscanti 3y ago

It can be a Bayes rule thing where they're statistically less likely to participate in white collar work, but it could also be biases in companies who believe a candidate is less educated if they have a strong regional accent. The article suggests that some candidates attempt to hide their accents and have better luck with that.

opportune 3y ago
It’s not just likelihood to participate in white collar work, at least IME having a stronger accent correlates with all sorts of behavior which makes you less able to navigate a typical US corporate environment. I’m thinking things like growing up in a family with no white collar workers (and thus not being exposed to the distinct social etiquette of the white collar workforce), having strong political and religious views that are at odds with the white collar norm, how you prioritize work vs family. And certainly education - you may get a degree but typically standards at <southern flagship university where people come from a typically more educated background> are different from <regional southern university>. Class distinctions in the South run deep

akiselev 3y ago

That sounds more likely, especially given the stats later in the article: > Another recent study found that 38% of job seekers admitted to "softening" their regional accents during interviews because of negative stereotypes. > This study by the Writing Tips Institute found that applicants with a Southern accent were the fourth most likely to change their voice. People from Western New England, South Midland and New Jersey were the most likely to alter their accents. It just sounds like people with Southern accents and their guidance counselors haven't figured it out yet.

TrevorAustin 3y ago
It sounds like this isn't a Southern phenomenon at all, and is just framed that way to rile up the Fox Business audience. Having a strong regional accent, or more accurately, being unable to turn off your strong regional accent, is just a class marker.