Religion and Traditions in Appalachia

Religion In Appalachia Summary
Along with a territory, comes its traditions and ways of living. One key aspect of the Appalachian
life is religion. Religion plays a major role in Appalachia as well as the creation of Berea college.
Focusing on the Christian traditions found in central and southern Appalachia, numerous scholars
examine the theology and religious doctrines of the various mountain, Evangelical, Pentecostal and
mainline denominational churches throughout the region. In the last several decades, the research of
Appalachian scholars such as Ronald L. Lewis, Dwight B. Billings, Wilma Dunaway, and others
contributed to the deconstruction of numerous economic and social myths. Until the 1970s, most of
the literary and academic works on Appalachia failed to recognize ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Weller, a United Presbyterian minister who had served as a home missionary in the coalfields of
West Virginia since the early 1950s, published a small book, Yesterday's People: Life in
Contemporary Appalachia (1965). From its first day to the present, the book, Yesterday's People:
Life in Contemporary Appalachia, has served as the defining statement of Appalachia in the
collective American consciousness, and in particular of religious life distinctive to the mountain
regions of Appalachia. During this time in 1965, the Appalachian Region Commission (ARC) was
formed by the government for the redevelopment of the region. The first step was to map out the
region, but the map quickly expanded from the commonly and historically understood area
(McCauley). Today Berea college finds itself keeping its religious beliefs at the forefront, but they
do not force its religious aspect upon the students. For example, Berea college does not require
chapel like most Christian colleges do. Instead Berea College has focused and devoted itself to love
and inclusiveness. The world today has so many labels and different stipulations as to what you can
and cannot do based upon the religion, sex, or race you identify with. Berea college strives to be as
inclusive as possible, allowing all people to have to opportunity to participate in various activities.
Many of Berea's views stem from Christianity,
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Understanding The Appalachian People 's Kinship And Family...
Appalachians –The American Family You Haven't Heard Of
When people think of America, they think of white picketed fences, the American dream, and white
people living in suburbs. But most people don't imagine poor, illiterate "hillbillies" (as they are often
labelled as). Their upbringing in the household, thoughts on marriage and the like were divergent
compared to the rest of the developed western world. This essay will promote the development of
understanding the Appalachian people's kinship and family life, why they practice certain customs
and how it affects them. This essay will also take a closer look into why and how the lack of modern
technology, low paying jobs/no jobs, media's portrayal of how families are supposed to be and drug
use has influenced the mountaineers and their families in regards to gender roles ,social life,
marriage, divorce ,courtship and so on. In addition to that it will also look at the comparison
between modern American households and family life to see what differences and similarities they
have between each other. Being known as the region synonymous with destitution and home to
some of the pauperized counties in the country, Appalachia has always been hidden from or sort of
isolated from the rest of the world because of their geographic location. The people of Appalachia
are often seen as unintelligent and less civilized than other Americans as they were less developed
and not exposed to the commercial world. Because of

Southern Appalachian Cultures: Their Pursuit for...
Where there are various regions there are bound to be a variety of people with alternate cultures,
beliefs, and ways of life. The cultures found with the Appalachia are unique in their own ways and
represent a body of individuals who found their way to such an area. Land that is included within
the Southern Appalachia can be best described by Horace Kephart as he does so in his book The
Southern Highlander and His Homeland to include: "the four western counties of Maryland; the
Blue Ridge Valley, and Allegheny Ridge counties of Virginia; all of West Virginia; eastern
Tennessee; eastern Kentucky; western North Carolina; the four northwestern counties of South
Carolina; northern Georgia; and northeastern Alabama." (22–24) With so much ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
("Define Matriarchy at Dictionary.com") Every small village contained over fifty log and mud huts
centered amongst the town square, which was referred to as the Council House, a place where
communal meetings and ceremonies would take place. ("Cherokee Indian History") They made
beautiful works of art which included: wooden baskets, dye, pottery, beadwork, and made elaborate
Star quilts. (Parker, Thomas V. 11–12) In order to make such goods, the Cherokee Indians utilized
the resources of nature efficiently because they knew the cost of not doing so would be great in the
near future. They asserted a certain reverence for nature and took it upon themselves to try their best
to preserve and allow their land of the Southern Appalachia to remain prosperous for as long as
possible. Cherokee Indians were hunters, makers of many goods, care takers of nature, and traders.
The Shawnee Indians were primarily found in West Virginia and speak a Southern dialect of the
Great Lakes which is Algonquin. The men of the tribe took to hunting, gathering of food, and were
warriors of their given tribe. The women tended to various needs of the tribe, as that cooked, made
clothing, wove baskets, scrapped and tended to hides. Religiously the Shawnee Indians paid homage
to Moneto, who is a supreme presence who ruled the universe as a whole and dispersed blessing on
those who earned his approval and those who did not faced loss and heartache. The

ESPM 50AC Final Paper
Introduction
Appalachia is a 205,000–square–mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains
stretching from southern New York to northern Mississippi. It is home to more than 25 million
people.
Appalachia Mountains are rich in natural resources, containing an abundant number of coal, timber,
oil, gas, and water (Daugneaux 1981). These natural resources have historically influenced the
economic characteristics of the region. The region's economy has been highly dependent on mining,
forestry, agriculture, chemical industries, and heavy industry, among which coal mining appears to
be the largest financial contributor to the economy (Appalachia's Economy). However, the mining
practice used to extract coal in Appalachia called ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In Jan. 2011, the EPA decided to veto the dumping of waste from the Spruce No. 1 Mine. But the
agency's efforts have so far been rebuffed by the courts as an overreach: Under the weird legal
regime that governs mining, it's the Army Corps of Engineers, not the EPA, which has the ultimate
say–so over those permits. In 2012, the D.C. district court ruled that EPA lacked authority to veto
the permit after the Corps had issued it. However, in fact EPA's decision is based on evidence from
scientific research on serious environmental harm from mining. In May 2013, a coalition of
Appalachian and environmental groups petitioned the EPA to set a numeric water quality standard
under the Clean Water Act to protect streams from pollution caused by mountaintop removal mining
. They claimed that "State politics and industry pressure have so far failed to end this pollution
without such a standard and more and more streams and communities who rely on those waters are
left vulnerable. We need EPA to act now." The EPA's authority over the Clean Water Act in respect
to Spruce Mine No. 1 was finally affirmed by the Supreme Court in March 2014.
The fourth group is the government. In the film Rise Up! West Virginia and Mountain Mourning,
environmentalists

Kentucky Stereotypes Essays
"You know you're from Kentucky if your house is mobile and your three cars aren't" This is a joke
my younger brother recited to me when I returned to my Yankee home from the University of
Kentucky for Thanksgiving break. He went on to ask, "If a Kentucky couple gets divorced are they
still brother and sister?" The lists of redneck jokes surrounding Kentucky stereotypes are endless.
Many people get a good laugh out of the jokes, but they don't realize that they are portraying a crude
message about all Kentucky folk. More so than any other state, Kentucky is labeled and illustrated
as redneck and poor. Much of this may stem from many of the small towns in Kentucky and in the
Appalachian area. However, Appalachia has been misunderstood and ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
... Class of 99." The murals were there in order to forecast who and how each of us would be in the
future. These life–size portraits were intricate and very descriptive at that. For example, my friend
Katie is notorious for being disgustingly sloppy and was illustrated as a professional cleaning lady.
The pictures provided the entertainment throughout the night. No one took offense to these; they
were hilarious with a slight hint of validity.
I took a keen liking to mine especially. I was in tattered, patched overalls, too short for my parched
legs. I had one sandal and a tennis shoe with no socks. Because I was sporting a flannel shirt and
ever so popular pigtails, the picture implied that I would turn into the "typical Kentucky redneck."
Even though I laughed sincerely I was frightened that I would come home for break with a southern
twang, a hick, shoeless boyfriend, and a tractor instead of my car. When I spoke to my friend about
my apprehensions she replied haughtily, "You don't need to worry about it, the only way you would
come home with a boyfriend is if your brother decided to go to school there."
The laughter I had then is equal to the disgust I have for it now, having done much research on the
area. I am appalled that people don't either feel sympathy or admire the people of the Appalachian
area. I could say, being the Yankee that I am, that Kentucky has a bad reputation for being trailer
trash and gritty. I had the

Analysis Of Hillbilly Elegy
The multidimensional expression "hillbilly" carries different cultural significances throughout the
book Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. First, Vance utilizes the term "hillbilly" to refer to the working
class white Americans of Scots–Irish descent who have no college degree (3). Second, Vance uses
the term hillbilly to refer to a group of people from a specific geographic area, namely the area of
the Appalachian Mountains. According to Vance, the area stretches from Alabama to Georgia in the
South to Ohio to parts of New York in the north (4). Third, hillbilly indicates the way of life,
behavior, or identity of the people of Greater Appalachia.
Throughout the book, Vance describes particular behaviors, customs, and attitudes that distinguish
the hillbilly culture and set them apart from the White Anglo–Saxon Protestants or "WASPS" (3).
For example, Vance describes hillbillies as those with "an intense sense of loyalty, a fierce
dedication to family and country" who "do not like outsiders or people different from us, whether
the difference lies in how they look, how they act, or most important, how they talk." (3). Notably,
throughout the entirety of the book, Vance continuously and consistently identifies himself as a
hillbilly. In order to fully grasp Hillbilly Elegy one must understand that Vance writes not as an
observer of the hillbilly culture, but as someone who has lived the hillbilly life and knows the
culture from firsthand experience. All throughout the book, it

Mountain Dew Film Analysis
The first thing anyone notices is our looks, and we are immediately judged because of them. One of
the biggest problems the people of Appalachia suffered was their looks, especially their teeth, or
lack of them. During the documentary, many of the young children had never been to the dentist.
Upon seeing them, the dentist knew immediately they had been drinking an abundance of Mountain
Dew. While this is not an issue for the normals, since they have access to healthcare, these children
were stigmatized at an early age, since their teeth literally rotted and fell out, leaving them scarred
for life. Another example is Angel, who was a mother in the documentary. She had lost her teeth at a
young age, but instead of resisting and joining a

Reflection Paper
Grumpy Hughes Lane. Avery County, North Carolina. July 2017. Situated in the heart of the
Appalachian Mountains lies a humble homestead with a paraplegic man and his lovely amicable
wife. Their home, a dilapidated nineteen thirties fixer upper, was in desperate need of repair,
especially on its exterior, so myself and other youth collaborated to make the Hughes family's dream
of a reliable and dependable home a reality. As I set out along Interstate 40, I was engulfed in
affluence: a group of rich white kids from the suburbs had iPhones which cost more than the average
person's monthly salary in rural Appalachia. I have always been aware of the opportunities I have
been awarded, but on the long ride to my destination, I finally realized that this lifestyle had been
getting to everyone. The group's goal for the week was to befriend and assist the impoverished
people in Appalachia, yet how could this be achieved if we were constantly under the influence of
technology, a divisive force which our friends in Appalachia were not always fortunate enough to
possess. As the cellular service died down upon entering the mountain region, we began to become
immersed in the beautiful panoramic Appalachian mountains rather than the one–dimensional world
of electronics. Everyone now had the mindset needed to actively participate in the work we had set
out on: bettering the livelihoods of impoverished families in Avery County, NC through needed
home improvements. After a successful

Analysis Of Christmas In Appalachia
An ideology created in the 1960s, the culture of poverty is the idea that people stuck in poverty
during this time had no way of breaking out and that they were trapped in a vicious cycle. The
people living this way are helpless and could not provide for themselves, and many born in this
lifestyle are heading downward with no avail. To spread awareness in the 60s, CBS sent reporter
Charles Kuralt to document the quality of life and present the culture of poverty that ravaged in
Appalachia. He went around a small town in mountainside Kentucky and interviewed families and
documented the state of life around Christmas. This CBS News Special Report, Christmas In
Appalachia, affirms the ideology of a culture of poverty, and the interview with Ibe Johnson, a
hardworking husband and father, solidifies this through several filming techniques. Using a mix of
eye–level and low level angle shots along with scale, duration of the interview, and composition of
the scene, the film subjects the viewers to evidence of the culture of poverty. The first film technique
used is the shots and scale used to cover the interview. These allow the viewers to be on a similar
level as Ibe and understand his lifestyle. CBS used eye–level shots and medium scale to show how
Ibe and others like him are everyday people and it acts as a bridge to place viewers on the same
social level. This allows the interviewee to be placed in a respectable and presentable fashion so
people can understand and maybe even

The Positive Impacts Of Art : The Art Of Advancing
The Art of Advancing My parents always raised me to believe that the arts are how we understand
ourselves and everyone around us. Growing up in Appalachia, other´s opinion about the arts greatly
juxtaposed mine. When you live in a community where it is common to live below the poverty line,
it's hard for most people to care about anything that isn't considered useful. The mindset of those
living in Appalachia is almost always, as put by one mountain woman, "Livin's more important than
schoolin'" (Constance Elam, Culture, Poverty, and Education in Appalachian Kentucky). However,
Appalachia is not the only place with this mindset. Afghanistan people also tend to believe that the
arts are less important than other things. However, I believe that a change in mindset would be
beneficial to the advancement of these communities. Further incorporating the arts into Afghani and
Appalachian culture can mold the growth of these communities as well as reshape the negative
stereotypes associated with them. The influence of art has had a positive impact on the communities
they flourish in. States such as New York and California, are as well known for their impact on
social change as their encouragement of the arts. Artistic expression paints the path of social change
by sharing an individual person or group's experience with anyone who experiences their art. Sure,
listing off any facts about a negative situation would allow people to know what was going on, but,
as penned by Olafur

Where Are They Are From?
"Excuse me miss, but you have the cutest little accent," the pizza delivery guy said.
"Well, thank you," I replied.
"If you don't mind me asking, where are you from? I know that you aren't from around this area with
an accent like that."
"I am from a little town called Hazard," I replied reluctantly, realizing exactly where this
conversation was headed.
"Oh, is that where the Dukes of Hazzard are from?" he asks chuckling.
"No, that place is Hazzard, Georgia. I live in a little town in southeastern Kentucky."
"I bet you all have a lot of barefoot, pregnant people there don't you?" he asks with a discriminating
smile.
"Well actually we don...."
"Huh, I bet you all don't even have paved roads or indoor plumbing," he ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
This special leaming center in Hazard allows children from all over the area to experience
something extraordinary. Eastern Kentucky is also the home to several colleges: Pikeville College,
Alice Lloyd College, Centre College, Hazard Community, Somerset Community, and many more.
These higher–level learning facilities provide a higher education for the people in Appalachia who
are not ready to leave the area.
Dwight B. Billings writes, "Appalachia has often been used as a symbol of rural poverty." Just last
year President Bill Clinton visited Hazard, Ky. to offer new job opportunities to what he called, "an
underdeveloped area that America can help develop." But many in Appalachia don't want the outside
help. In his book of short stories titled Kinfolks, Gurney Norman describes the strong union that
Appalachian families share with one another. An Appalachian himself, Norman depicts family life
and the intertwining aspects of love, care, traditions, respect, and knowledge that are found in
Appalachian families. It is this same bond that Norman refers to in his stories that keeps many in the
area from moving away, from wanting more technology, from wanting change to occur. It is this

concentration on not wanting to lose our heritage that makes us so different from the rest of society.
"Anyone who is unlike the majority is looked at a little suspiciously, dealt with a little differently"
(Asfahani 18). Because we seem to focus more on our traditions

The History and Culture of the Cherokee Civilization Essay...
Introduction
The Cherokee, a very large tribe, lived in the region of the Smokey Appalachians Mountains. The
Cherokee were forced to relocate to the Appalachian Mountains after they were defeated at war by
the Delaware. The tribe was divided into seven clans. The tribe's men were not allowed to marry
within there tribes, this was a great taboo in the Cherokee society. The seven tribes inhabited North
and South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia and Georgia. Once the man married he left his
tribe and went to live with his wife's tribe. They spoke the Iroquoian language.
Way of living
The Cherokee had the highest standards of living and level of education among the tribes living in
Sothern East United States (Perdue 115). They lived ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They also had there own published newspaper, the Cherokee Tribune.
Rhythm of the Seasons
The Cherokee people were not time conscious they did not have specified time for rituals and
ceremonies. However, despite their laid back nature, the Cherokee people had fours seasons (Perdue
3). Each of the four seasons represented different rituals and ceremonies. The first season was
winter; it was associated with cold and sadness. It was symbolized by the color blue. Winter
belonged to the north. Spring which has its heritage in the East is represented by the color red.
Spring time symbolized victory. It was a new beginning occasioned by warm weather festivities and
merry making. Summer was time for happiness where every thing was peaceful and serene. There
was plenty of harvest during this season. Summer was symbolized by the color white, the color of
peace. Finally autumn which was the end of the cycle symbolized death. Autumn was symbolized
by the color black, the color of death. During autumn the Cherokee people did not engage in many
festivities each household remained isolated.
Gender Roles
According to Perdue (135), in the Cherokee community women were associated with the bounty
that comes from the earth. The women were mostly concerned with cultivation of land and ensuring
that there families had enough crop to sustain them even during dry seasons. The women could take
up leadership just like there male counter parts. The leadership positions

My Personal Experience In My Life
At the age of four, my parents divorced and my life as I knew it changed forever. I moved to nine
different schools before graduating high school and was raised by a single mother. The most brutal
reminder, however, was our family dinner. I remember all too well the taste of stale bread and
damaged foods purchased from consignment grocery stores. In a sense, I lived the stereotypical
Appalachian life in Wise County Virginia, which lies directly on the border of Eastern Kentucky.
The way I found to best cope with my situation as a child, was to respect what my mother could do
to provide for her children. To this day, my mother and I have a very close relationship. We rely on
the advice of each other for anything from emotional support to her business ventures. Through the
times in which she struggled to provide for her children, our family learned together that cohesion
and cooperation could pull us out of any circumstance. My grandfather was a mortician, community
leader, and CEO of Norton Community Hospital for 40 years, which is a small hospital in Southwest
Virginia. I spent most of my early childhood with my grandparents and without this upbringing may
have never found my interests in medicine. Living in Appalachia, I witnessed a decline in the health
of my family, friends, and neighbors at an unusually rapid pace. My upbringing gives me a
perspective on the need for patient–centered and cost–effective healthcare. I learned to make the
most out of every situation and

Kudzu Phenomenon
A google search of "Appalachia" defines the word as "a term for areas in the Appalachian Mountains
of the eastern US that exhibit long–term poverty and distinctive folkways" ("Appalachia |
Definition," n.d.). Relatedly, the Appalachian Regional Commission describes that the Appalachian
Mountain region includes "all of West Virginia and parts of...Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky,
Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee,
and Virginia," ("The Appalachian Region," n.d.). Also, on its webpage, The Appalachian Regional
Commission further contextualizes the economic conditions of Appalachia, saying that, "its poverty
rate, 31 percent in 1960, was 17.1 percent over the 2011–2015 period. These gains have ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The vine can be implemented in the creation and regulation of industry. For example, Joe Brown
(2000) conducted a study that measured the ability of kudzu to remove "copper, zinc, and cadmium"
from water (p. 82). The conclusion of the study reports that the plant was "an effective absorbent for
the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Though not as effective as commercial
grade ion–exchange resin, kudzu could prove useful in applications like the treatment of urban or
agricultural runoff" (Brown, 2000, p. 87). Following the assertions of the research, kudzu could
possibly be used to remove harmful materials from the environment in agriculture or mining
dependent areas of the Appalachian region. Beyond contributing to improving the environment,
kudzu can also be utilized to make new technology. In "Kudzu [Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr.
Variety lobata]: A new source of carbohydrate for bioethanol production," the researchers examine
kudzu in relation to biofuel production and ultimately discuss that "A field of kudzu that produced
13.6 th a–1 of dry mass...would thus yield about 2.5 m3 ha–1 of bioethanol, comparable to that of
maize" (Sage et al., 2008, p. 60). Similar to kudzu's flexibility as a medicine, the plant also exhibits
many intriguing and diverse applications for a modern and technologically advanced society. Using
kudzu to cultivate

The Appalachian Region Of New York
Introduction
The Appalachian Region stretches from the northern part of New York, through Pennsylvanyia, all
of West Virginia, the West side of Kentucky, Mississippi, and the southern parts of Maryland,
S.Carolina, N. Carolina, and Alabama. The immigrants who settled in the Appalachian Region were
made–up of three main ethinic backgrounds; Scot–Irish, English, and German. "Appalachian people
are considered a separate culture, made up of many unique backgrounds–Native Americans, Irish,
English and Scotch, and then a third descendants of German and Polish immigrants–all blended
together across the region"("Appalachian Culture", 2015). The immigrants came to the Appalachian
Region either in search of land at cheaper prices or to get away from the Quacker Leaders. The
Appalachian Region has proven to create a hard way of life for those who settled the region. "The
people who settled in the Appalachian region were known as hearty people who lived in an often
difficult environment"("What is Unique", 2015). Those who live in the Appalachian Region today
may not face the same challenges as his or her ancestors who settled the region, but there is no doubt
the Appalachians still brings a set of challenges. However, no matter the challenges there is one
thing those who live in Appalachia share, tradition. It is these traditions that assisted the first settlers,
our ancestors, in living life and are still getting present day Appalachians through. Section 1 Some
individuals

Essay about Appalachia Culture
Many people have different views on what Appalachia is, I grew up thinking that Appalachia meant
people were dirty, poor, illiterate, inbreed and we also called them mountain people. As I grew up I
realized that most of the things they went through and had a hard time with, I was dealing with the
same problems. So what exactly is Appalachia? Well you will find out as you read on.
Appalachia is no longer the land of severe poverty that it was three decades ago, now the poverty
rate of one in 15 is close to the national average. The number of adults who have received a high
school diploma has also jumped from one out of three to two out of three; and the infant death rate
has been ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
(civicnet.org)
Coal became the fuel that fired the furnaces of the nation, transforming the Appalachian region
socially and economically. Unfortunately mountain people didn't realize the implications of their
mineral wealth. Many sold their land and mineral rights for pennies an acre to outlanders.
Appalachians became laborers rather than entrepreneurs. Coal became a major industry which was
extremely sensitive to outside fluctuations in the economy, leading to boom and bust cycles. The
industry was controlled by interests outside the region, so that little of the profit remained or was
reinvested.
Appalachia is often portrayed as an arrested frontier, a geographically isolated subculture, and
reservoir of culturally homogenous. Appalachians are pictured as proud, fiercely independent, and
god–fearing southerners. But in all reality they are portrayed as fighting and feuding, barefooted and
backward, ignorant degenerates, downtrodden by centuries of isolation, inbreeding, and poverty. So
how was Appalachia discovered? Well Appalachia was prompted in the mid 1870s by local color
writers such as Mary Murfee and John Fox Jr. who explored in fiction and travel sketches such
mountain themes as conflicting Civil War loyalties, moon shining, and feuding. (Billings)

The Capitalist Driven Society Of The United States
Kelly Mulquin
Dr. Pratt
Intro to Sociology
11/12/2014
In the capitalist–driven society of the United States, there is a constant impetus towards expansion,
investment, and maximization of profits. While this system has helped the US become one of the
wealthiest countries in the world it has also contributed to a widening gap between the wealthiest
and poorest members of society. This essay will examine two of the poorest populations in the
United States, the Central Appalachian region of Kentucky and the population in Camden, New
Jersey through the lens of two 20/20 segments reported by Diane Sawyer: "Waiting on the World to
Change" and "A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains". This essay will examine the interplay
between economic life and family structure in these regions, and how this interplay shapes
individual behavior. In the early 20th century, both the Appalachian region and Camden were
financially prosperous. Large–scale logging and coal mining firms brought wage–paying jobs and
modern amenities to Appalachia and Camden served as a major center for manufacturing and
industry. Following World War II, the coal mining industry experienced major decline. Mechanical
innovations that reduced the number of laborers needed, competition from cheaper fuels, and fewer
accessible and profitable seams contributed to a major decline in the coal industry. The decline of
this industry, once the major source of jobs and economic activity in the region, led to a spike in

Hill-Billy : Appalachia And Minority Discrimination In...
The phrase "Hill–billy"
When hearing someone described as hick, redneck or hilly Billy, it is hard to believe those word are
technically ethnic slurs. Ethnic slurs, or phrases of generalized ethnic indecency, often come up with
the thought of minority discrimination. Minorities, are almost always at a disadvantage in society
since systems where been built for the majority, or common population, and it takes time and
progressive mindsets to change that. But what happens when the minority exists amongst the
population of the majority. Appalachia is a very small representation of overall white population in
America. However, since it is a white population, the thought of ethnic slurs does not seem like
something that would exist to label the group. But since the term is a persona used to label certain
people in the Country, it is derogatory. Even though some people may recognize words like Hill
Billy or redneck as not applying to Appalachia, but to the generalization of "White Trash," the
origins are from the personas and ideals decoratively associated with the people from Appalachia.
Other than being white, there is another major reason generalized personas arise specifically for
Appalachia, and that is isolation. Unlike most ethnic and cultural groups, Appalachians, are from
and in Appalachia and only Appalachia. Of course, hillbilly is thrown around not always in direct
description of the group, but the persona associated with term is completely rooted in

Examples Of Stereotypes In Cold Mountain
Appalachian Literature provides a way to gain insight about the common stereotypes that are
applied to specific gender. In literature, Appalachia men are shown to be valued less than outsiders
as a result of the stereotypes applied to them. They are perceived as lazy drunks and incompetent
males, resulting in outsiders viewing themselves as superior and Appalachian males as
untrustworthy. Appalachian men attempt to prove their worth, while maintaining their pride. In Cold
Mountain by Charles Frazier, Inman, who is from the mountains of Appalachia, goes off to war and
leaves the war as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Regardless of his appearance, during the
time of the war Inman presents himself with pride about where he came from ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Appearance is now a visual image that is introduced into the stereotypes of men in Appalachia. In
the films Lawless, The Dollmaker, and Songcatcher the men are consistently trying to prove
themselves to outsiders. In the films the men are portrayed as the stereotypical mountain man based
on their appearance and actions. There is a clear distinction between the outsider men and the
Appalachian men, simply by their physical appearance. The way the men dress in the films confirms
the stereotypical idea of how people in Appalachia dress, reinforcing stereotypical ideas that they
are untrustworthy and not equals. The majority of the Appalachian men wore overalls, dirty or torn
clothing, and had dirt on their face. In the eyes of the outsiders, the Appalachian men could not be
trusted because they looked dirty therefore were worth less than outsiders. In comparison to the eyes
of the Appalachian men, those who dressed in more formal clothing could not be trusted. In
Lawless, the Bondurant brothers dressed this way and outsiders believed they are not trustable
because they fell into the stereotype. In The Dollmaker, before the move to Detroit, Clovis dressed
the same way, as well as the other Appalachian men shown in the film. Also in the film Songcatcher,
we see the Appalachian men dress in similar ways. Once Jack Bondurant obtained money to afford
to buy new clothes, he was taken seriously and no longer threatened by the outsiders when he sold
the moonshine (Lawless). When Clovis moved into Detroit and obtained credit or money, he
changes his appearance to conform to the ways outsiders dressed therefore he no longer fit the
stereotypical Appalachian man in his appearance (The

Strip Mining Essay
Some may say the best way to mine is by strip mining some may not agree to this, until you have
lived near an area that has been completely destroyed due to this you would never understand. It is
so hard to see such a breath taking view that once was part of your home taken away from you. You
may think over time all of the tree and all of the animals that lived in this area will come back, but
that is not always the case. Many may say due to living in West Virginia we depend on coal mining
for many jobs to support families but not only this so we have a natural resource here for more jobs
to become available, but are the effects from this truly worth it? What brings so much money into
are state also destroys the beautiful rolling mountains ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In Kanawah County in January of 2014 a river got polluted with chemicals used from strip mining
this caused many residents to be out of water for weeks. This incident caused such a big catastrophe
that the stores in the southern part of the state began to run out of drinking water due to being the
only resource the residents had for water at that time. The easiest way coal mining chemicals get
into our water ways is when the soak into the ground and the rain washes it down hill into our water
ways. There have been many lawsuits in West Virginia over the type of incidents that happened in
January in 2014, but the coal companies still continue to do so just getting away with a fine and a
slap on the wrist.
Coal mining is a great resource for our state, but it comes with dangerous side effects. The
companies come into our state and start destroying everything because all they worry about is the
paycheck they are going to get. What many do not realize is what helps our state in so many ways
hurts us in more ways than what it helps. This proves to be true with all of the effects strip mining
has and all of the accidents caused by the coal companies in the past. What helps our residents in our
state make a living day to day also causes the place we know and love to be destroyed, causes major
flooding issues, and can also pollute our water

The Factors Influencing Human Behaviour Outside Of Other...
Animals are one of the top factors influencing human behavior outside of other non–human animals.
The interactions that occur between people and non–human animals, particularly in the Appalachian
region, has led to profound changes both on the local community. The most significant interaction to
take place and has influenced the area drastically is domestication. Four types of domestication at
the forefront of Appalachian culture are livestock, blood–sports, pet keeping, and animal's
prevalence in oral folklore. The introduction of domestication previous to and after the Neolithic
Revolution has harbored new relationships between humans and animals that have altered the
mountain face, culture, and economy of the Appalachian region.
The most prevalent human–animal interaction to be observed and widely practiced in the
Appalachian Mountains is the keeping of domesticated animals. The region was widely used as
hunting and gathering land previous to colonial expansion. Animals were not domesticated by
Native Americans their animism, or the belief that all organisms and inanimate objects possess a
soul ("Constructing Animals"). However, it was not until the Neolithic Revolution reached the
Appalachians that sustainable agriculture became a standard way to obtain food. In doing so
domesticated animals, particularly livestock, became common in the mountains. Hogs cattle, and
chickens were kept on farms to allow for easier access to meat, dairy, and eggs. Consequently, when
people

Substance Abuse And Low Education
It is no doubt that the Appalachian region is discredited of its merits, despite the perceived negative
social problems associated with the area. What many outsiders of the area fail to acknowledge is that
many of the same problems of Appalachia plague other regions of the United States as well. In
Appalachia, there are many problems that can be associated with the area and usually the people
from the area are grouped into a poor environment–a lower socioeconomic class. Across the region
there is a wide social problem on low education rates and relatively high substance abuse statistics.
What others also fail to see is that the Appalachian region has a plethora of services to offer along
with a rich heritage embedded in its people. The good people of the community have worked
together to overcome the past and current issues of substance abuse and low education by forming
different groups to offer for the public to take part in.
Substance abuse is heavily associated with the region of Appalachia. Appalachian people are looked
at negatively for being categorized with drug and alcohol addictions. The issue has increased since
coal mining and other industrial work places are declining in the area (Sodomick, 2014). People
resort to drug trade to make profit since the career field is declining in the area. Because substance
abuse has become so popular, overdose and countless deaths have occurred more often as well. The
past few years, it has been a horrific trouble with the

Identifying An At Risk Population
Identifying an At–Risk Population
The rural south has long been known as one of the poorest areas of rural America. Statistics have
shown the effects of this long–term neglect – low education, high unemployment, high disability,
addiction and chronic health care problems. Appalachia is the geographic area adjacent to the
Appalachian mountain chain in the US and includes 410 counties in 13 states (Appalachian
Regional Commission, 2011). The central portion of Appalachia contains the economically strapped
coal counties of West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.
The people of rural Appalachia have long been affected by income and poor education, but now
those issues have created greater problems. According to the Appalachian Regional Commission, the
unemployment rate has been more severe in Appalachia than anywhere in the nation as a whole
(Appalachian Regional Commission 2011). So many families in these counties must focus first and
foremost on merely getting by. When money is tight at home, health care is often the first thing that
takes a backseat to placing food on the table and roof over a families ' head. They are vulnerable,
undereducated, and are inadequately equipped to deal with changes occurring in the environment
around them. These issues combined with language barriers, cultural and religious beliefs have
created an unusual population to educate and provide treatment for in modern healthcare. This has
resulted in a premature mortality rate that when

Lincoln Memorial University ( Lmu )
In 2005, Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) initiated the pursuit of Substantive Change from the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) with the intent to initiate two advanced
degree programs, the Doctor of Education (Ed.D) and the Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.). The
administration of LMU, following Procedure One of the SACS Commission of College's
(SACSCOC) Substantive Change for Accredited Institutions Policy, provided a letter stating this
intent on April 6, 2005 to the Executive Director of SACSCOC. Feasibility studies were conducted
and both programs were recommended to the Board of Trustees. LMU submitted an Application for
Member Institutions Seeking Accreditation at a More Advanced Degree Level, which requested both
the programs be considered and the University move from Level IV to Level V in accreditation
status. The following onsite, pre–accreditation team visited LMU in the fall of 2005 the decision
was made to first pursue the D.O. degree program and postpone the Ed.D. Program. On October 2,
2006 SACSCOC officially received LMU's application for a level change to establish a Doctor of
Osteopathic Medicine degree, submitted to the Compliance and Reports (C&R) Committee for
review at their December meeting. A letter was sent to LMU on January 9, 2007 that stated "The
Commission on Colleges awarded membership at Level V to offer the Doctor of Osteopathic
Medicine degree and authorized a Substantive Change Committee to visit the institution to review

Mental Health Problems Of The Appalachian Mountain Region
The person we will become is shaped from the time we are born. Every experience we have has an
effect on us. It can be argued that the experiences we have as children have the greatest effect on
how we behave later in life. No two people encounter the exact same things throughout their life.
Experiences are dictated by the people you live with, the events that occur in your life, and where
you grow up. The Appalachian mountain region has been considered to be a different world from
mainstream America since the first settlers arrived from the borderlands of Scotland, Ireland, and
England. Several scholars have examined the Appalachian region to assess behavior due to mental
health issues. Several studies have found that a higher number of ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Along with being around these things that are detrimental to their mental well–being, these children
grow up in an environment where getting help for mental issues is not the norm. As Appalachia is a
rural region, it is more difficult for the residents of this region to access mental health professionals
compared to the residents of urban areas. Along with the lack of access to help, there is a cultural
"do–it–yourself" attitude amongst Appalachian people, meaning that they are less likely to reach out
for help even when it is available. Because of this mentality, asking for help comes with a social
stigma in this region. Since children grow up seeing that their parents do not ask for help, they feel
that they should also "fix" themselves on their own.
The first obstacle that must be overcome when Appalachians want to get help for mental health
issues is the lack of access to mental health professionals. While there are mental health treatment
options available, they are mainly located in the more urban areas of the region (Susan Emily Keefe,
Appalachia's Children). All too often, people are unaware of the services available to them for the
treatment of mental health disorders. Even if they do possess knowledge of what is available, it may
not be feasible to get to these services. Many of the residents may not have insurance or the
financial capabilities necessary to pay for treatment. Because the

Most American in The Profit of the Smoky Mountains Essay
LITR221
Due: 23 November 2014
Granny (Mis' Cayce) A Unique American Woman What makes Appalachian Americans unique?
Starting with characteristics one that most Appalachian's share is an intense desire for freedom.
"Freedom to live as they pleased, with lots of space to themselves– "elbow room", as Appalachian
Daniel Boone used to say. People who settled Appalachia were not inclined to be bound to
institutions, religious or otherwise. Those ties and that external authority were part of what they
wanted to leave behind. These people brought their traditions, values and beliefs with them. They
came into contact with Native Americans, and while doubtless there were fights for land, the settlers
and Indians reached an understanding" (How ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"Southern mountain dialect (as the folk speech of Appalachia is called by linguists) is certainly
archaic, but the general historical period it represents can be narrowed down to the days of the first
Queen Elizabeth, and can be further particularized by saying that what is heard today is actually a
sort of Scottish–flavored Elizabethan English. This is not to say that Chaucerian forms will not be
heard in everyday use, and even an occasional Anglo–Saxon one as well" (Dial). While searching
"The Profit of the Great Smoky Mountains" one character that stands out as being a unique
American is Granny or Mis' Cayce. Mis' Cayce is an elderly woman whose birth was probably in the
early 1800's in the Appalachian community she still lived in. She grew up, grew old and will die in
the region, probably without ever leaving it. In her first introduction she wore a "cap, which had a
flapping frill and was surmounted by a pair of gleaming spectacles. A bandana kerchief was crossed
over her breast, and she wore a blue–and– white–checked homespun dress of the same pattern and
style that she had worn here fifty years ago" (Murfree). Her dress was that of 18th century garments.
The frilled cap was probably a Bavolette which "was a ribbon frill at the back of the bonnet. Its
purpose was covering the neck, which was considered an erogenous zone in the mid–19th century"
(History of Hats for Women). The Bavolette

The Violent Myth Of Appalachia Essay
Brooks 3
THE VIOILENT MYTH OF APPALACHIA
ENGL–330
Appalachian Literature
By
Julie A. Brooks
November 17, 2016
the violent myth of appalachia
Appalachia may be the most misconceived region in the United States. To many Americans,
Appalachia has been thought of as a poverty stricken, backwards, violent region, and to some it still
is perceived as such. Often it has been labeled with titles such as hillbilly, redneck, moonshiner, and
feudists. Appalachia?s residents are seen as lazy, non–trusting, drunk, illiterate, and in need of a
savior to pull them out of the darkness into the light. This research paper will seek to challenge the
myth of a violent Appalachia by describing documented proof that violence in Appalachia is not, as
most thought, a product of its geographical location, or because its people are isolated. Violence in
Appalachia was, just as in other areas of America, a result of tensions and frustration that was deep
seeded in the fabric of all American society.
To understand the concepts of violence in Appalachia, it is imperative to explain how Appalachia is
defined. The Appalachian Region, as defined in ARC 's authorizing legislation, is a 205,000–square–
mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to
northern Mississippi. It includes all West Virginia and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia,
Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,

The Emergence of Appalachian Stereotypes in 19th Century...
In the world of Appalachia, stereotypes are abundant. There are stories told of mountaineers as lazy,
bewildered, backward, and yet happy and complacent people. Mountain women are seen as diligent,
strong, hard willed, and overall sturdy and weathered, bearing the burden of their male counterparts.
These ideas of mountain life did not come out of thin air; they are the direct product of sensational
nineteenth century media including print journalism and illustrative art that has continuously
mislead and wrongfully represented the people of Appalachia. These stories, written and told by
outsiders, served very little purpose to Appalachian natives other than means of humiliation and
degradation. They served mostly to convince readers of the ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
These proliferated the idea of unkempt and unruly natured people, pastoral, lazy and at the same
time content to remain in a disparagingly hostile existence. These writers and illustrators were often
men who traveled through the mountain regions and spent time with the people there (McNeil, 59).
They were frequently invited to stay with families who were honored to have them as guests, and
treated to every hospitality an Appalachian family could afford. When James Lane Allen, who was a
teacher in Lexington KY for twelve years, decided to change careers in 1885, traveled to New York
to become a writer, while there he was told to "find a definite field and explore it for literacy
materials." (McNeal, 59) Deciding to return to Kentucky, Allen began publishing his works in
magazines in 1886, his work primarily focusing on Kentucky as two distinct regions, the civilized
Bluegrass Region and the rough Cumberland Mountains. In James Lane Allen's Through
Cumberland Gap on Horseback, the mention is made to the beauty of the land and that the climate
was just the same but that traveling to the mountain region was not only difficult as they had to take
a train then a wagon ride, followed by a trek on horseback, but a lengthy process. Among the
experiences recorded Allen describes the meeting of several locals and this is where his
responsibility for Appalachian

The Appalachian Mountains : A Vast Cultural And...
Introduction Appalachia is a vast cultural and geographical region "that follows the spine of the
Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi. It includes all of West
Virginia and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New
York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia."4 The
distinctive Appalachian culture is a result of the blend of unique backgrounds –Native American
(primarily Cherokee), Celtic (mainly Scotch and English), Polish and German, and African
American– and the geographical isolation that is revealed through their traditional arts and crafts,
music, food, customs, and sometimes dialect.14 This isolation created "a greater ... Show more
This paper will review past practices and policies relating to mountaintop coal mining, evaluate and
analyze current research on the impact of coal mining on human health, and provide
recommendations for further research guided by logic and in agreement with biblical truth.
Review of Past Practices and Policies
Broad form Deeds Coal mining is not new to the Appalachian region. Miners have been working the
rich coal fields of Appalachia for generations.14, 17 The first coal mines in these states were small,
local owned operations.17 This all changed, however, in the late 19th century when "agents from
land companies had swept through the region buying up mineral rights, sometimes for as little as
fifty cents per acre, separating the use of the surface (and tax liability) from the natural resources
that might be below."17 In legal terms, and in very fine print, these "broad form deeds often signed
over the rights to 'dump, store, and leave upon such land any and

Early Appalachian History: Early Settlers In The...
If you look at early Appalachian history, many of the earliest settlers in the mountains were of Irish
decent. Their ancestors had originally migrated to northeastern America to escape religious
persecution and eventually made their way south to the Appalachian Mountains, which they
preferred because the area was similar in climate and geographic features to Ireland. Early settlers in
the mountains had a Paganistic belief system and because of the geographic location of their
settlements, were isolated from the outside world. In the early 1900s there weren't roads, railroads,
paths, etc. to travel into the mountains, which socially isolated groups living in those areas.
When Christian missionaries began traveling into the Appalachian Mountains

The Diversity Of Appalachia And The Appalachia Region
Appalachia In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared an unconditional war on poverty in the
United States and the most photographed area was the Appalachia region. Many of the photographs
intentional or not, became a visual definition of the Appalachia region. The images have drawn from
the poorest areas and people to gain support for the war on poverty, but came to represent the
entirety of the region. The point of the Looking at Appalachia project is to explore the diversity of
Appalachia and to establish a visual counter point. (Home – Looking at Appalachia.) The three
images I am going to analyze are challenge some of the stereotypes put on the Appalachia region. I
believe my images challenge the stereotype that all Appalachian people do is work hard, go to
church, and don't have time for anything besides those two things.
The first of the three images focuses on an older gentleman sitting at a bar stool smoking a
cigarette(Reynolds Untitled 1). He looks like he has lived a long life of working and the effects of
the years of smoking have taken a toll on his skin. The environment is so dull that the only thing to
focus on in the image is the older man. The gentleman wears nicer clothes it seems as though he
could have just been to church and stopped to relax or for something to eat. The man in the image
seems as though he has been caught off guard by the photographer taking a picture of him. He seems
as though he was trying to relax until the photographer interrupted

Essay on Uneven Ground: Appalachia Since 1945
In Uneven Ground, the author Ronald D. Eller narrates the economic, political, and social change of
Appalachia after World War II. He writes "persistent unemployment and poverty set Appalachia off
as a social and economic problem area long before social critic Michael Harrington drew attention
to the region as part of the "other America" in 1962."(pp.2) Some of the structural problems stated
by Eller include problems of land abuse, political corruption, economic shortsightedness, and the
loss of community and culture; personally view the economic myopia as being the most daunting.
Arguing flaws in the expansion of Appalachia's postwar economy, Eller responds this led to "growth
without development". With the coal industry flourishing ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
With new technological advances in machinery the average production of a miner is at a continual
rise while the employment of the miners is at a downfall.
The "players" in our region consist of many people ranging from federal agencies to church
organizations. Some of them would include Appalachian Volunteers (AV), President's Appalachian
Regional Commission (PARC), Council of the Southern Mountains (CSM), Appalachian Group to
Save the Land and People (AGLSP), Appalachian Leadership and Community Outreach (ALCOR),
Area Redevelopment Administration (ARA), Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC),
Appalachian Regional Development Act (ARDA), Black Lung Association (BLA), Community
Action Agency (CAA), Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), and many more dedicated
organizations and individuals contributing and fighting for rights and benefits in our region.
These are some of the efforts by our regions "players". The Kennedy administration's efforts to
abolish poverty trace the rediscovery of Appalachia by federal policymakers as the sign of
underdevelopment in what was known as the "other America". Growing on the internal colony
model, and with the work of local activists like Whitesburg, Kentucky, native Harry Caudill, the
Kennedy administration launched a federal development program in our region. Collaborating with
the Conference of Appalachian Governors, the Kennedy administration started an effort to secure
funds for

Baghban Comparison
I am from Dayton, Ohio. I saw similarities and difference between Dayton, Ohio and Appalachia
Baghban. I attend Christian Private School, and the students were from surrounding cities like
Xenia, Huber Height, and Kettering. As Baghban pointed out, the children were influenced by their
homes and cities. Baghban brought up family values, education and literacy in Appalachian, and
Dayton residents and private school student share similarities and difference with Appalachian
culture. In the Article, the Baghban explained the importance of the family values and views. For
instance, Baghban explained that Appalachian citizen went to hunt trips, regularly. In Dayton,
citizen would visit each other for Holidays, but I did not meet people who visit

Appalachian Culture Research Paper
Abstract The region that is considered Appalachia extends from the southern point of New York and
extends down to northern Georgia and the northern part of Mississippi. The region includes parts of
Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, the western portion of Virginia, and parts of Ohio,
Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The Appalachian culture is made up of a vast array of migrants who
settled in the region and is comprised of both urban and rural developments. Appalachian culture is
defined by its people, traditions, regional assets, and the many social issues like poverty and
substance abuse that have developed inside the region. Understanding the culture of the Appalachian
people is an essential part of social work practice. Failure to develop

Folk Medicine in Appalachia Essay
Folk medicine is created through groups of individuals and spreads due to the diffusion of different
ethnic groups. Even though folk medicine is isolated to a region, folk medicine is important in
creating the knowledge and treatments of illnesses from past generations. Appalachian folk
medicine is unique because of the influence of Native American, African American, and Euro–
American cultures. Due to isolation of the region, the elements of Appalachian folk medicine is
comprised of outside influences, categories within fork medicine, variations of caregivers, and
natural remedies. Folk medicine is an important aspect of the Appalachian region. According to
Mathews, folk medicine is known in involving diseases or illnesses "which are the ... Show more
To this day, beliefs in treatment and prevention by either spiritual or naturalistic means still persist
and remain strong, allowing continuation of tradition of the area. In Appalachia, due to geographic
isolation, lack of educational opportunities, government services, and extreme poverty has forced
the residents of the area to be self–reliant in meeting their own needs. The Appalachian residents
have relied on their own knowledge and skills in treating illness and disease; therefore, allowing for
folk medicine to continue to thrive in the area.
The Appalachian region is an isolated area due to the geography, which has made it inaccessible for
the individuals to go to doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies; therefore, the people have relied on their
own folk remedies for the a cure (Mathews 7). According to Cavender, the past living conditions of
the region provided an environment favorable to the rapid spread of contagious or infectious
diseases. The improper disposal of human waste accounted for the high prevalence of typhoid fever,
hookworm, roundworm, cholera, and dysentery. Many families instead of having an outhouse or
latrine, "simply evacuated" (Cavender 20) in closed off areas near the house. Even the individuals
that had outhouses failed to consider where they should be placed; therefore, waste seepage from
outhouses infected wells and streams in the vicinity (Cavender 20–21). Due to isolation and poor
lifestyles, the people

The Role Of Norms In Appalachia
As a society, we expect everybody to follow our norms, rules and regulations. However, Appalachia
seems to have its own set of norms. Although they may not consider them to be deviant, the normals
and those in power probably would. One of the biggest problems in Appalachia is the leading agents
of their society. During the documentary, we follow four different people, and we see their leading
agents, which are their parents and families. Shawn's mother sells pills, Jeremy follows his father–
in–law down into the mines to provide for his fledgling family, Courtney's mom is a high school
dropout and Erica's mom has been in and out of rehab constantly. How can these children break the
cycle of poverty and deviance if they are learning and living

James Still's River of Earth: A Neglected American...
James Still's River of Earth: A Neglected American Masterpiece
James Still's River of Earth is a novel about life in Appalachia just before the Depression.
Furthermore it is a novel about the struggles of the mountain people since the settlement of their
region. However great it may be at depicting Appalachia's mountain people and culture, though,
Still's novel has remained mostly invisible compared to other novels of the period which depict poor
white southern life, such as John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath and Erskine Caldwell's God's Little
Acre (Olson 87).
As scholar Ted Olson notes, there are several reasons for this neglect. First of all, Still's novel has
been labeled as "regional" and therefore not as "universal" in its ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
And some critics thought it fudged fact and fiction. Still's novel, on the other hand, which never
caught on with the mainstream, garnered consistently excellent acclaim. W.J. Gold commented that
the story is "told with clarity and strength born of restraint. The economy of its style and the
directness of its aim give evidence of a mature and intelligently used talent" (qtd. Olsen).
In addition, some of the best American writers of the time had great things to say. Robert Frost, for
example, one of the best poets of the Modernist era, commented that he had stayed up all night
reading the novel. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was struck by the novel as well. She called it "vital,
beautiful, heart–breaking and heart–warmingly funny" (Cadle 197).
Many of these critics who advocated for Still's novel tried to make it more publicly known and read.
But in their attempts they took a serious misstep. When speaking of the novel they talked of other
Appalachian writers such as Jesse Stuart and compared Still's work to his work and that of other
regional writers. They made no mention of Grapes of Wrath or other popular books. They just
grouped Still with other Southern and Appalachian writers and said his book was wonderful and
much better than anything Jesse Stuart ever wrote. The problem with this was that most Americans
did not read Jesse Stuart's work and those who had found it to have a kind of fake heartiness, a
certain forced quality (Olsen

The Theme Of Portrayal In Vance'sHillbilly Elegy
Portrayal.
Upon telling a story, many times personal situations get mixed in with what truly happened in order
to better portray an image and/or experience. As a result, whether or not one is credible in their
recollection of a story is often brought into question. However, this is most certainly not the case in
J.D Vance's "Hillbilly Elegy" due to the many factors, which include the poorness of his immediate
environment, family history with violence, and factual evidence he puts into his writing. Throughout
the novel, virtually all of Vance's points can be compared to his early life in which he was very poor.
Early on in the book, J.D talks of how one his goals is simply wanting "people to understand what
happens in the lives of the poor" (Vance 2). It is not simply Vance that suffers from this poorness,
but the majority of the Hillbilly culture. This is shown clearly when Vance mentions this ideal
saying, "teachers didn't tell us that we were too stupid or poor to make it" (Vance 56). The "we" in
this statement not only represents the kids at the school, but frankly, the entire surrounding region.
Vance is no different than other hillbillies when it comes to money game, and this adds to his
credibility as to how well he is representing their culture. One factor that may often be overlooked
when one thinks of the Hillbilly ways is violence. Often times this violence is the result of drug
abuse. In J.D's case his dad was a "violent drunk" and his mamaw was "a violent

Healthcare Care Access Disparities in Appalachia
Health Care Access and Disparities within the Appalachian Region
Sherri Drake
PIMA Medical Institute
Health Care Access and Disparities within the Appalachian Region (NIH, 2002–2006) Health
disparities are defined as "differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases
and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United
States". Health care access is the ability of a person to receive health care services as a function of
access to medical personnel, supplies and the ability to pay for those services. The Appalachian
region consists of thirteen states and 420 counties, in which the entire state of West Virginia is in
Appalachia, along with the mountainous portions of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The 18% poverty level of 2008 is improved from the 33% level of the 1960's, this decrease is
attributable to an increase in educational attainment and income, resulting in lower levels of poverty.
Borak, Salipante–Zaidel, Slade & Fields (2012) state the following
Education is also strongly linked with health status; limited education is regarded as a "precursor to
poor health"...In general, the counties with lowest educational attainment were "concentrated in
central Appalachia, especially in the mining regions," where health status is generally worst.
Even with some improvements in the region, Appalachia continues to linger below the U.S. average.
(Halverson & Bischak, 2008) Suggests that two socioeconomic factors stand out when evaluating
health disparity among mortality rates and those are poverty levels and the percentage of persons
who do not have health insurance coverage. Behavioral risk factors in the region have a higher
prevalence of obesity, smoking, lack of exercise and poor use of cancer screenings available than the
U.S. national average. Again, the central subregion of Appalachia is among the most affected as this
area tends to be more geographically rural. Nutrition is a major issue and low income levels often
dictate poor food choices. Some areas may have only one small grocer with limited selections
available. Exercise becomes more difficult for people who become obese, which often leads

Religion and Traditions in Appalachia

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from Cindy Wooten

More from Cindy Wooten (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Religion and Traditions in Appalachia