Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 11.02 Social Sciences
Presentation #1 Title
Appalachian Stereotypes in Film and Hollywood
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The purpose of this presentation is to explore how pop culture representations, specifically from film and Hollywood, might be impacting stereotypes and youth self-esteem. The media is often guilty of promoting the negative stereotypes and images of Appalachia to the world. This makes it harder for Appalachian youth to form a positive representation of their culture. However, some films acknowledge many of the stereotypes and confront them throughout the story. There is a prominent stereotype that individuals from the Kentucky and West Virginia area are individuals who will not or cannot move or academically excel beyond working in coal mines. The Hunger Games acknowledges and confronts this perception through the people of District 12, the coal mining district essentially located in Kentucky and West Virginia. Their “champion,” Katniss, breaks this stereotype. Furthermore, The Hunger Games also break stereotypes through their lead actors, both of whom are from Appalachia and present themselves as positive role models for Appalachian youth. While this sounds like a singular example, there are other examples from films and Hollywood that are providing good representations of Appalachian culture. These positive Appalachian role models allow the youth of the region to see not only the Appalachian culture but themselves in a more positive light. In this presentation, the positive and negative impacts from film and Hollywood will be explored.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Britani Black is a first year PSY D student at Marshall University. Her research interests include language, reading comprehension, memory, the influence of popular culture, and stereotypes.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Dr. April Fugett is an associate professor of psychology at Marshall University. Her research interests include technology, language, reading comprehension, memory, and the influence of popular culture in terms of memory and language.
Appalachian Stereotypes in Film and Hollywood
Harris Hall 139
The purpose of this presentation is to explore how pop culture representations, specifically from film and Hollywood, might be impacting stereotypes and youth self-esteem. The media is often guilty of promoting the negative stereotypes and images of Appalachia to the world. This makes it harder for Appalachian youth to form a positive representation of their culture. However, some films acknowledge many of the stereotypes and confront them throughout the story. There is a prominent stereotype that individuals from the Kentucky and West Virginia area are individuals who will not or cannot move or academically excel beyond working in coal mines. The Hunger Games acknowledges and confronts this perception through the people of District 12, the coal mining district essentially located in Kentucky and West Virginia. Their “champion,” Katniss, breaks this stereotype. Furthermore, The Hunger Games also break stereotypes through their lead actors, both of whom are from Appalachia and present themselves as positive role models for Appalachian youth. While this sounds like a singular example, there are other examples from films and Hollywood that are providing good representations of Appalachian culture. These positive Appalachian role models allow the youth of the region to see not only the Appalachian culture but themselves in a more positive light. In this presentation, the positive and negative impacts from film and Hollywood will be explored.
