Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 7.03 Activism and Organizing
Presentation #1 Title
Identity and Marginalization in Contemporary Appalachia
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Through the use of a multi-sited ethnography which concentrates on participant observation and is supplemented with un-structured interviews, this study will explain the relationship between regional and national identity in Appalachia. A further analysis illustrates that the social problems which are found in the region have a direct correlation with the misunderstanding of social and cultural capital which is used to negotiate space, power, and identity internally and externally in relationship to the Appalachian region and the greater United States. This research asks how Appalachian culture and identity is defined, why it is unique and how Appalachians employ their regional identity in contemporary dialogues. How does Appalachian culture and identity and its regional self-ascriptions challenge notions of space, power, and national identity? These questions will be explored by utilizing theories grounded in symbolic ethnicity, presentation of self, and assignment of value to cultural artifacts and practices. Perceived social marginalization is a key component to the study of contemporary Appalachia because it is as much a contested notion as is the prevailing identity of the region. In the process of understanding Appalachian culture and identity, we realize that there is now a stronger need to challenge previously held conceptions of what these terms mean and how they are employed daily. By giving Appalachia a platform to challenge and problematize these notions, we benefit by re-conceptualizing social and cultural characteristics of any region.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Mariah Jade Zimpfer is a second year doctoral candidate at the University of Edinburgh in the Department of Sociology. Her areas of interest are: Culture, Migration, Socio-Historical Issues, Social and Cultural Capital, and Appalachian Identity.
Identity and Marginalization in Contemporary Appalachia
Drinko Library 138
Through the use of a multi-sited ethnography which concentrates on participant observation and is supplemented with un-structured interviews, this study will explain the relationship between regional and national identity in Appalachia. A further analysis illustrates that the social problems which are found in the region have a direct correlation with the misunderstanding of social and cultural capital which is used to negotiate space, power, and identity internally and externally in relationship to the Appalachian region and the greater United States. This research asks how Appalachian culture and identity is defined, why it is unique and how Appalachians employ their regional identity in contemporary dialogues. How does Appalachian culture and identity and its regional self-ascriptions challenge notions of space, power, and national identity? These questions will be explored by utilizing theories grounded in symbolic ethnicity, presentation of self, and assignment of value to cultural artifacts and practices. Perceived social marginalization is a key component to the study of contemporary Appalachia because it is as much a contested notion as is the prevailing identity of the region. In the process of understanding Appalachian culture and identity, we realize that there is now a stronger need to challenge previously held conceptions of what these terms mean and how they are employed daily. By giving Appalachia a platform to challenge and problematize these notions, we benefit by re-conceptualizing social and cultural characteristics of any region.
