'Politically Correct' Prejudice? Exploring Rural Stereotypes and Their Influence on Intergroup Relations

• In Event: Race Without Borders: Global Perspectives on Race, Prejudice, and Ethnocentrism

Abstract

Drawing on social identity and intergroup communication theory, this study explores stereotypes of rural U. S. culture. Content analysis of 1,043 syntactical units reveals 13 distinct traits associated with people living in rural areas. These traits comprise five conceptual categories representing salient stereotypes of rural populations. Latent class analysis demonstrates these stereotypes combine in unique ways to create three distinct classes of rural prototypes: rural-as-authentic, rural-as-agrarian, and rural-as-redneck.

Authors

• Janice Raup-Krieger, Ohio State University

• Jennifer Moreland, Ohio State University

• Jason Sabo, Kent State University