Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 4.04 Cultural Integration
Presentation #1 Title
Eight Interviews on Affrilachian Identity
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This research will ask several questions: what components make up an Affrilachia identity, and are these components similar enough between individuals to point to an Affrilachian identity. I will also look at the group in light of their writing, specifically through poetry. While Affrilachia is merely a concept that gives recognition to people of color within and from the Appalachian Region, the Affrilachian Poets, a formal group of writers, constitutes the largest, and nearly only, group of individuals identifying as Affrilachian. I have chosen eight Affrilachians to interview, and split my sample between four founding members of the Affrilachian Poets, and four newer members to the group. I have also split my sample evenly for gender to gain a representative sample. All but two interviews will be conducted in person, the other two over the telephone, and all eight will be audio recorded and transcribed. Using Erik Erikson’s theories of identity development, the poets own works, and literature on ethnic identity, I will analyze my results in a written report of at least twenty-five pages. I anticipate finding enough similar answers to my questions that will highlight a group identity. This research will also add to the scholarship working to break the myth of ethnic homogeneity in the Appalachian Region by exploring and defining Affrilachian identity.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
I have a degree in Creative Writing from Appalachian State University, where I am currently enrolled as a graduate student in the Appalachian Studies department. I plan on continuing my education in a PhD. program either in North Carolina or Kentucky, where I will study Affrilachia and the works of Frank X Walker.
Eight Interviews on Affrilachian Identity
Harris Hall 139
This research will ask several questions: what components make up an Affrilachia identity, and are these components similar enough between individuals to point to an Affrilachian identity. I will also look at the group in light of their writing, specifically through poetry. While Affrilachia is merely a concept that gives recognition to people of color within and from the Appalachian Region, the Affrilachian Poets, a formal group of writers, constitutes the largest, and nearly only, group of individuals identifying as Affrilachian. I have chosen eight Affrilachians to interview, and split my sample between four founding members of the Affrilachian Poets, and four newer members to the group. I have also split my sample evenly for gender to gain a representative sample. All but two interviews will be conducted in person, the other two over the telephone, and all eight will be audio recorded and transcribed. Using Erik Erikson’s theories of identity development, the poets own works, and literature on ethnic identity, I will analyze my results in a written report of at least twenty-five pages. I anticipate finding enough similar answers to my questions that will highlight a group identity. This research will also add to the scholarship working to break the myth of ethnic homogeneity in the Appalachian Region by exploring and defining Affrilachian identity.
