Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Shifting subsistence: effects of food production mode on sharing and social capital in Eastern Kentucky
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
In many societies, resources are distributed through informal exchanges within social networks. The ability to acquire resources through social networks has been described as a key aspect of “social capital” (Bourdieu 1986; Portes 1998), and is thought to be an important part of dealing with scarcity (Aktipis et al. 2011, Cronk 2007, Hao et al. 2015). Rural Appalachian communities are known to maintain close social network ties to kin and neighbors, and some work has documented social exchange within these networks (Halperin 1990). The current research addresses outstanding questions about cultural norms and practice of social exchange in rural central Appalachia, focusing specifically on the sharing and giving of subsistence food resources. Interview and survey data were collected in southeast Kentucky in 2017. The survey data (N=70) show that the majority of participants engage in some sort of food production activity, and that most of these individuals give away at least some of the food they produce. Further, increased participation in food exchange networks is associated with increased levels of extra-familial social capital on some measures. While sharing remains common, interviewees also indicate that sharing and helping are in decline, and attributed this change to demographic and economic shifts in the central Appalachian region over the past 50 years. These results contribute to the broader literature on the relationship between social support and subsistence mode, and provide important information for applied researchers and practitioners seeking to improve social capital in the context of culture change in Appalachia.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Helen Wasielewski is an anthropologist currently interested in understanding how cultural practices and culture change affect health outcomes. She does both ethnographic field research as well as controlled laboratory experiments.
Conference Subthemes
Health, Economic Development
Shifting subsistence: effects of food production mode on sharing and social capital in Eastern Kentucky
In many societies, resources are distributed through informal exchanges within social networks. The ability to acquire resources through social networks has been described as a key aspect of “social capital” (Bourdieu 1986; Portes 1998), and is thought to be an important part of dealing with scarcity (Aktipis et al. 2011, Cronk 2007, Hao et al. 2015). Rural Appalachian communities are known to maintain close social network ties to kin and neighbors, and some work has documented social exchange within these networks (Halperin 1990). The current research addresses outstanding questions about cultural norms and practice of social exchange in rural central Appalachia, focusing specifically on the sharing and giving of subsistence food resources. Interview and survey data were collected in southeast Kentucky in 2017. The survey data (N=70) show that the majority of participants engage in some sort of food production activity, and that most of these individuals give away at least some of the food they produce. Further, increased participation in food exchange networks is associated with increased levels of extra-familial social capital on some measures. While sharing remains common, interviewees also indicate that sharing and helping are in decline, and attributed this change to demographic and economic shifts in the central Appalachian region over the past 50 years. These results contribute to the broader literature on the relationship between social support and subsistence mode, and provide important information for applied researchers and practitioners seeking to improve social capital in the context of culture change in Appalachia.
