I think i can answer that question in a way similar to what your saying.
I come from a very traditional southern family...... with that i on the other hand was born and raised in So. California.

It isn't just dating from different regions it is a true south v. any other region that isn't southern.

I from calif went to a true southern college to please many members of this family vs where iw anted to go and even there you can tell if your different or not and i felt always out fo place because i wasn't born southern or from the south. I would always get, "Oh Laura your not from the south we don't do it that way here" or "you just wouldn't understand your not from the south".

I went to Arkansas for college and they are deep in their traditions and i understand traditions being from the family i am from.

I go to family reunions and i have aunts , uncles, cousins and a grandmother who is truly southern as southern can get. My family is an old family from Tenn. My great grand dad was a state supreme court judge who ran in social circles with the Gores and my grand mother and great aunts were very traditional southern ladies who let you know it too.
I mentioned in another post that cousins and aunts who are in true southern style sororities are debs and what not and they really focus on getting married within a social cirlce and momma is the one who will make it happen

I love my aunts and cousins but wow if i lived like that i think i would drive myself nuts to live up to a degree of snobbery for a better term.