Urban Tribes
REDNECK
This month in our “Urban Tribes” section we are looking at a group of people from the US: rednecks.
Poor Whites
The term redneck can be used in two different ways: to refer to poor white people from the southern states of the US who live in rural areas; or to refer to a white person who has a conservative and bigoted attitude.
History
There are two theories on the origins of this term. The first one says that the word “redneck” has a Scottish origin. In the 18th century, a religious group called the “Covenanters” came to the United States from Scotland. They refused to accept the Church of England as their official state church. They signed a document with their own blood stating this. They also wore pieces of red cloth around their neck to show that they were “Covenanters”; and as a result they became known as “rednecks”.
The second theory is less complicated. White farm workers in the southern states of the US were exposed to the sun all day. They wore hats to protect their heads from the sun, but they did not cover their necks, and as a result, they became known as “rednecks”.