Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Lethal violence: A comparative analysis of the natural accoutrements of culture

1997; Routledge; Volume: 10; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/1478601x.1997.9959460

1477-2787

Druann Maria Heckert,

Rhetoric and Communication Studies

The rates of homicide are higher in the south than in any other region of the country. Some criminologists maintain that a greater propensity for lethal violence is rooted in structural reasons, while other criminologists posit that subcultural (or regional cultural) ethos are the cause. Criminologists who support the cultural interpretation have examined natural artifacts of culture including music. As much a quintessential Southern music, Southern rock, as epitomized by Lynyrd Skynyrd, will be analyzed in relationship to a comparable rock music that has northern origins, as represented by Bruce Springsteen. Themes of violence are analyzed in terms of how violence is portrayed. The results are intended to elucidate the argument of a regional culture of violence. In addition, conclusions are made regarding the relationship of music to culture and the direction of that relationship as the twenty‐first century approaches.