Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 5.12 Social Sciences
Presentation #1 Title
The Economics Connecting People, Land, and Place: A View from the Field
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This paper provides a framework for understanding how value is created and how it is embedded in the southern Appalachian region.. Though Appalachian people, land and place are inextricably linked, the mechanisms by which they become connected economically are not well understood. This relationship is increasingly important to understand as we face economic, land use, social, climate and other changes in our region. Four studies conducted in the southern Appalachian region provide evidence of the mechanisms by which the relationship among land, people and place is mobilized. The research includes two land-based studies that examine the value of scenic quality along the Blue Ridge Parkway and farmland in Western North Carolina while the remaining studies examine a product, local food, that effectively exhibits the symbiotic relationship between land, people, and place. Results from all four studies demonstrate how social, cultural and natural forces are connected. In this paper, these connections are used to structure a framework for future research on how to better understand the economic-social-physical relationships in the region. Session participants will be invited to offer their insights to help improve the model and its applicability to humanists, social and natural scientists.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Dr. Leah Greden Mathews is Interdisciplinary Distinguished Professor of the Mountain South and Professor of Economics at UNC Asheville.
The Economics Connecting People, Land, and Place: A View from the Field
Corbly Hall 464
This paper provides a framework for understanding how value is created and how it is embedded in the southern Appalachian region.. Though Appalachian people, land and place are inextricably linked, the mechanisms by which they become connected economically are not well understood. This relationship is increasingly important to understand as we face economic, land use, social, climate and other changes in our region. Four studies conducted in the southern Appalachian region provide evidence of the mechanisms by which the relationship among land, people and place is mobilized. The research includes two land-based studies that examine the value of scenic quality along the Blue Ridge Parkway and farmland in Western North Carolina while the remaining studies examine a product, local food, that effectively exhibits the symbiotic relationship between land, people, and place. Results from all four studies demonstrate how social, cultural and natural forces are connected. In this paper, these connections are used to structure a framework for future research on how to better understand the economic-social-physical relationships in the region. Session participants will be invited to offer their insights to help improve the model and its applicability to humanists, social and natural scientists.
