Good ‘Ole Southern Accents Could Cost You When Applying For A Job
If you were born and raised in the South, and have a Southern accent, it might hurt you in regard to a higher salary according to a new study. A new study done by the University of Chicago and the University of Munich says folks with a Southern accent could lose out on thousands of dollars per year.
According to Yahoo Finance, the study found that people with strong regional accents could face a wage penalty of up to 20% compared to those who speak with a ‘standard accent’. Although the study info I found doesn’t get into why a Southern accent could hurt you, I’m pretty sure I can take an educated guess. For decades, if not longer, when people hear someone speak with a deep Southern accent, they assume they’re not smart. Many people think that folks with a Southern accent are ignorant, and not as worldly.
Now, I was born and raised in Gastonia. I don’t really have an accent. I took private drama lessons from the age of 13 until the age of 17, which helped to erase my Southern accent. Of course, having grown up in Gastonia, I can rock out a Southern accent quickly. My father is from New York, and when I worked in Columbia, S.C., people always asked me where I was from ‘up North’. When I’d say Charlotte/Gastonia, people were shocked. For whatever reason, most people that don’t know me well think I’m from New Jersey. LOL! I guess it’s because I have more of a ‘Northern personality’. I’m loud and forthcoming. Not traits usually associated with a ‘Southern woman’.
Even though I grew up in the South, I’ll admit that sometimes when I hear someone with a deep Southern accent, I assume they’re not bright. There’s a commercial our station is running and the guy in the commercial is extremely Southern. He speaks a bit slow, and to me, his voice and accent are annoying. I’m sure he’s a smart man, but he definitely doesn’t sound like it.
There’s a negative stereotype that goes along with a hard-core Southern accent. Of course, if you have a deep Northern accent people will assume you’re a ‘loudmouth’ or a ‘pushy’ person. I think every part of the country has ‘traits’ that are associated with the accent in that area.
Assuming the intelligence of someone based on their accent is wrong. Yet, many of us do it. And based on this study, it seems as if employers do it too. I think it may depend on the type of work you do. In radio, it’s helpful if you don’t have any type of accent. Of course, if you’re a waitress at a Southern style restaurant, a Southern accent will probably be beneficial.
You can check out more on the study here.
