Date of Award
Spring 4-24-2018
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Political Science and International Affairs
Department Chair or Program Director
Kramer, John
First Advisor
Murphy, Chad
Second Advisor
Farnsworth, Stephen
Major or Concentration
Political Science
Abstract
Appalachians are portrayed in the media and scholarship as politically fatalistic, but in reality the region has a rich history of non-traditional political action. Why are Appalachians portrayed this way, and what are they doing today to reclaim their agency? In this paper I examine the ways popular culture has shaped our understanding of Appalachia and Appalachians, as well as how we perceive them as political beings; I also briefly discuss the history of the treatment of Appalachians by coal companies. This paper also examines previous scholarship on political participation in Appalachia in order to provide context for the rest of the discussion. I conducted a probit regression to determine whether or not being from Appalachia has an impact on political participation and attitudes, specifically efficacy. Based on data from the 2016 ANES pre- and post-election survey, I concluded that being from Appalachia is a significant determinant of certain political attitudes and actions. The paper concludes with a broad discussion of the types of political actions Appalachians take in the face of injustice, as well as how grassroots movements can, and should, add to our understanding of how marginalized groups make sense of their circumstances.
Recommended Citation
Cassingham, Christopher, "Political Participation, Efficacy, and Community Organizing in Appalachia: How A Marginalized Region Makes Sense of their Circumstances" (2018). Student Research Submissions. 256.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/256