Beach Babes of the North and SouthBy: Rhett Baynes

Background As a beach lifeguard on the resort island of Kiawah, my coworkers

and I are in a unique position to observe people of many cultures.  We are constantly judging and giving people a stereotype of where they are from, the north or the south. The judgments are primarily based on their appearance, their

interactions with the sand and water and their activities. I know how I stereotype, but I wanted to investigate what my

coworkers thought of people on the beach and how we form our judgments. The problem investigated in this research was how we stereotype where

people are from:  the north or the south (in the US).  Comparing and compiling the way we judge others comprises my research.  Based on our sometimes humorous observations, the hypothesis is that our judgments of the tourists’ origins are most accurate.

Kiawah Island- Beachwalker County Park

Methodologies After a coworker and I made assumptions on their home

region, I interviewed patrons on the beach to ask where they were from. As well, I interviewed lifeguards to ascertain their thoughts about a group of people or a certain person. Interpretation of the material is the comparison between the two.

I compiled a questionnaire for the beach lifeguards of Kiawah Island and asked, via email, what some of their main ways of judging people, if they are from the north or south.

I used photography and studied the pictures to compare them to the notes I took by observing.

No major challenges or problems incurred.

Beach Guards that were Interviewed

Lifeguard Assumptions for Southerners Tan Skin Only wearing a swimsuit Visiting the beach alone or with their

dog Sedentary Sitting on the water’s edge in a chair

with their feet in the water Not playing in the dunes Not feeding the birds

Where are They from?By looking at thesethree teenagers, you can assume they are from the south because theyare tan and surfing.

All of them are from the South Carolina coast.

Where is she from?This girl is laying out by herself and reading for a while on the beach.Therefore, the assumptionis that she is from the south.

This girl is from the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

Lifeguards Assumptions for Northerners Pale skin or sunburned skin Renting equipment such as umbrellas, chairs,

and bikes Wearing goggles or street clothes in the water Adults building sandcastles or digging holes in

the sand Sitting in the shade Feeding the birds Asking uneducated questions to the guards

Where is He From?The lifeguards all assumed that this boy was from the north because he was wearing goggles in the ocean.

We were right! This little boy is from Pennsylvania.

Where are They from?Both patrons are pale and the boy is wearing a life jacket, and by looking more into detail, you noticethat the man had built a “drip castle” and dug a hole. Therefore, the lifeguards assumed they are from the north.

The lifeguard assumptions were right! This father and son are from Wisconsin.

Where are They From?The pale skin, the burned cheeks, and the thick application of sunscreen leads the lifeguards to assume that this child is from the north.

The guards were once again CORRECT! She is from Vermont.

Who is From Where?By just looking at skin tone, you can assume that the girl buriedin the sand is from the north and the girl beside her is from the south.

Assumptions were right! The girl on the left is from Canada, and the girl on the right is from South Carolina.

Who is From Where?By looking at this picture, the guards assumed that the man in the shade with a t shirt on is from the north and the man in the sun with no shirt on is from the south. However our assumptions were incorrect. This is one of the few misses I had in my project.Left: From Michigan, Right: From South Carolina

“Silly” Questions asked to Lifeguards

“Can you turn the waves off/down?”

“Where did the beach go?” (tides)

“Can you turn the wind off?”

“Can you get all the jellyfish out of the water, they are stinging my kids?”

“Why is the water salty?”

100% of the patrons who asked these questions were from the north.

Patterns in Data Observation 90% of lifeguard assumptions regarding

patron origin (north vs. south) were correct.

Of the previous slides, the one break in pattern was the two men.

Although the lifeguards were confident in our assumptions, we expressed some surprise in the high rate of accuracy.

Representation/ Reflections My involvement is the fact that I am one

of the lifeguards in the study. My experience as a beach lifeguard

placed me in the middle of the study. My ideas regarding the topic did not

change throughout the course of the study.

No problems identified during the observation and data collection.

Interpretation The 90% accuracy rate of the lifeguards supports

the cultural differences that the lifeguards identified at the beginning of the study.

The data supports the conclusion that northerners and southerners look, dress, and act in different manners while at the beach.

My research supported the ethnocentrism of the southern beach guards.

A potential significance of this study is the guards can closely monitor those unfamiliar with the beach.

Anthropologic Interpretation This study focused on the field of

cultural anthropology. The following aspects of behavior and

customs were observed and interpreted: Behavior Communication Social Origin

Closing Reflections The problem investigated in this research was how we

stereotype where people are from:  the north or the south (in the US).  Based on our sometimes humorous observations, the hypothesis is that our judgments of the tourists’ origins are most accurate.

The hypothesis was supported by a 90% accuracy rate. The conclusion is significant because it illustrates cultural

anthropologic differences. I found that research and observation of a culture does not

have to be boring or tedious, as I enjoyed the process. Despite cultural differences most beach goers enjoyed their

experience regardless of their appearance or activities.