State & Local, Popular Culture 

From the creation of the first “New South” in the wake of Appomattox to the current struggles over the Confederate flag, Redefining Southern Culture surveys the remarkable story of southern identity and its persistence in the face of sweeping changes in the South’s economy, society, and political structure. Rejecting the conventional continuity-versus-change framework, James C. Cobb instead illustrates how the evolution of southern culture synthesized these two forces in recent years. Throughout this lively and engaging volume, Cobb examines southern identity in its constantly changing forms, from history and literature to blues and country music to popular and consumer cultures. Cobb also presents the first detailed account of the efforts of African Americans in the South to reclaim their identity as southerners and to construct their own symbolic and substantive representations of what that identity means. The essays in Redefining Southern Culture reflect James C. Cobb’s career-long interest in exploring southern cultural identity and the interaction of this identity with the economic, social, and political forces that have transformed the region. Written in a refreshingly straightforward and engaging style, this book promises thoughtful reading for anyone interested in the modern South and will be a valuable resource for courses in southern history and culture. - from Amazon 

Beyond Planters and industrialists: A new perspective on the New South -- World War II and the mind of the modern South -- Does "Mind" still matter? The South, the nation, and The Mind of the South -- From Muskogee to Luckenbach: Country music and the "Southernization" of America -- The blues is a lowdown shakin' chill-- Searching for Southernness: Community and identity in the contemporary South -- From "New South" to "No South": The Southern Resistance and the struggle with Southern Identity -- Modernization and the mind of the South. 

Includes bibliographical references.