Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Naming, symbolic capital, and socioeconomic development in Appalachia
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
In recent decades, there has been a conscious effort to respond to increased globalization and homogenization of the economy through an embrace of local place and identity. Consumers are choosing to patronize local businesses that engage in their community. This phenomenon appears to be happening across Appalachia, as newcomers and local entrepreneurs are starting new businesses that cater to the region’s diversifying population. What unites many of these businesses is an embrace of Appalachian identity in their public images. Frequently, public embraces of Appalachian identity in the business community take the form of region-specific business names. In these cases, businesses both tap and invest into the “symbolic capital” of the Appalachian region. With respect to the former, they leverage the Appalachian name to attract customers who identify strongly with the region. Concerning the latter, they reinforce place attachments by adding another symbol of Appalachian identity to the physical landscape. This paper attempts to understand whether this contribution to symbolic capital enhances other forms of capital in the administrative Appalachian region. Specifically, the paper analyzes change in the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) county-level index of economic distress from 2002-2014, as a function of the number of businesses with region-specific names that were opened during that interval. Controlling for relevant covariates, the results reveal that these investments into symbolic capital are associated with significant and substantive improvements in economic conditions in counties in the ARC region. These findings have important implications for how common identity might play a role in socioeconomic development.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Chris Holtkamp is a PhD student in Geography at Texas State University. He is pursuing his degree to build on his professional experience as an urban planner working primarily in rural communities. His research interest is understanding the role of social capital in building community and economic vitality in Appalachian communities.
Naming, symbolic capital, and socioeconomic development in Appalachia
In recent decades, there has been a conscious effort to respond to increased globalization and homogenization of the economy through an embrace of local place and identity. Consumers are choosing to patronize local businesses that engage in their community. This phenomenon appears to be happening across Appalachia, as newcomers and local entrepreneurs are starting new businesses that cater to the region’s diversifying population. What unites many of these businesses is an embrace of Appalachian identity in their public images. Frequently, public embraces of Appalachian identity in the business community take the form of region-specific business names. In these cases, businesses both tap and invest into the “symbolic capital” of the Appalachian region. With respect to the former, they leverage the Appalachian name to attract customers who identify strongly with the region. Concerning the latter, they reinforce place attachments by adding another symbol of Appalachian identity to the physical landscape. This paper attempts to understand whether this contribution to symbolic capital enhances other forms of capital in the administrative Appalachian region. Specifically, the paper analyzes change in the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) county-level index of economic distress from 2002-2014, as a function of the number of businesses with region-specific names that were opened during that interval. Controlling for relevant covariates, the results reveal that these investments into symbolic capital are associated with significant and substantive improvements in economic conditions in counties in the ARC region. These findings have important implications for how common identity might play a role in socioeconomic development.
