Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Hands-on Appalachian Studies
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
In the summer of 2018, I sponsored an ethnographic field school in southern West Virginia. Ten graduate students attended the program which included interviewing nearly 30 residents of Charleston, Logan and Mingo counties, as well as visiting important historical and tourist locations in the area. Students read regional histories and studied recent economic and social events, like the decline of coal, the rise of fracking, and the 55 Strong Teachers strike. The students completed oral histories and a formal documentation project for the class. But the significance of the project was that students came away with a nuanced understanding of the people and social context, much more than they could have learned in class.
This presentation will explore the benefits and challenges the field school model for educating, not only students, but life-long adults learner, investors, and business owners and tourism officials about the unique features of the region.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Debra Lattanzi Shutika is a Folklorist and Associate Professor at George Mason University.
Hands-on Appalachian Studies
In the summer of 2018, I sponsored an ethnographic field school in southern West Virginia. Ten graduate students attended the program which included interviewing nearly 30 residents of Charleston, Logan and Mingo counties, as well as visiting important historical and tourist locations in the area. Students read regional histories and studied recent economic and social events, like the decline of coal, the rise of fracking, and the 55 Strong Teachers strike. The students completed oral histories and a formal documentation project for the class. But the significance of the project was that students came away with a nuanced understanding of the people and social context, much more than they could have learned in class.
This presentation will explore the benefits and challenges the field school model for educating, not only students, but life-long adults learner, investors, and business owners and tourism officials about the unique features of the region.
