Abstract In this article, the writer examines the condition of women during the Civil War in Southern Appalachia. The writer discusses the social effects of the geography of the region. The writer also looks at its isolation from the rest of the Deep South. The subject of slavery is also discussed in this paper. In addition the writer looks at the role of women in this period.
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the status of women who lived in the mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee during the Civil War. The plan of the research will be to set forth the context in which the experience of women of that region was shaped by events in the U.S. in the mid-nineteenth century and then to discuss with reference to documents generated from the period, ways in which women were obliged to adapt to a situation in which men in their ... "
Abstract This paper discusses the natural sense of patience, perhaps derived from the timelessness of the surrounding forests and mountains, the people of Appalachia have practiced, through natural as well as man-made disaster. The author explores how perhaps in the twenty-first century this stubborn and persistent patience could pay off.
Table of contents
Appalachia Unmasked
The Face of Appalachia Past
The Face of Appalachia Present
The Face of Appalachia Future
From the Paper ""Trust not appearances," wrote Irish author James Joyce in the early twentieth century, "for there is nothing so deceptive and for all that so alluring as a good surface" (PG; O'Brien 300). At no other time and place could this statement prove more applicable than autumn amid the misty hills of eastern Kentucky. For in the fall, the black tobacco barns and simple dwellings of this area are framed by forests of evergreen, maple, hickory and sweet gum trees that burst forth in a variety of greens and golds against the smoky blue backdrop of the surrounding mountains. It is a beauty that could be termed breathtaking in its natural splendor, yet it is a beauty that bears the stigma of prejudice and preconception that has been decades in the making."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses the Appalachian mountain region. The writer notes that today the region has a reputation that is rich in resources with a notoriously poor economy and people. The writer maintains that this is no doubt the legacy of the exploitative nature of early industrialization in the Appalachia area. The writer concludes that as infrastructure is developed there is less and less need for some of the region's riches and conversely as the resources available are depleted, industry looks elsewhere for a point of need, leaving behind the generations of workers dependant upon this type of development. The writer contends that it is for this reason that the future of the Appalachian region is yet unknown, and will continue to be a region of flux for many years to come.
From the Paper "The Appalachian mountain region was the first American frontier, sought after as a place to romantically recreate the American dream of idealistic frontiersmanship. The mountains were the back door to many of the original American colonies and within them to the settlers of the nation lay unknown riches and exotic cultures, yet to be experienced or some would say exploited by the Europeans and the American settlers. They were the first areas to be traversed and eventually developed. The name of the area is a result of the goals of the Spanish to find wealth through gold mining as the area is named for the first group of Native Americans to point toward the forests and claim them rich in gold, the Appalachee. It is thought that they may have done so to send their unwanted guests away from them but none the less the name stuck."
An analysis of the cultural diversity that characterizes Appalachia and the relevant healthcare-seeking behaviors identified among people living there.
Abstract This paper discusses the importance of understanding the cultural aspects of healthcare-seeking behaviors in a given region and how that can help both practitioners and consumers alike improve the process and provide improved quality of care. The paper also provides a critical review of five recent journal articles concerning the cultural diversity that characterizes Appalachia and discusses the relevant healthcare- seeking behaviors identified among people living there and how they are best dealt with.
Table of Contents:
Review and Analysis
Summary and Conclusion
From the Paper "Throughout the country, studies have also shown time and again that age and ethnicity are also important indicators of what types of health seeking behaviors people will tend to pursue. For example, in 1999, 42.1 million non-elderly people were without health insurance in the United States; while there were more white, non-Hispanic people among the uninsured in terms of total numbers because they make up a greater percentage of the population, as a group they are also less likely to be uninsured. Likewise, among all Hispanic Americans, 35 percent are uninsured; among non-Hispanic African Americans, 22.8 are without insurance and almost one-third (32.8 percent) of Native Americans and Alaska Natives do not have any type of health insurance today (Giffords et al., 2005). Furthermore, among Asian/Pacific Islander Americans, the probability of being without health insurance is 22 percent. For white non-Hispanic adults this likelihood is 12.7 percent compared with 17.5 percent in the general population; the authors conclude that, "Racial and ethnic minority groups' lack of access to health services and barriers to the health system infrastructure and information result in consistent disparities in race and ethnic health statistics" (p. 213)."
This paper analyzes critically the role and position of women in the ancient Israel with reference to Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and contemporary scholarly journals and books.
Abstract The paper discusses the place of Israelite women in ancient days, her status and economic roles. The author states that the Israelite women could have been better, more productive citizens had their status and their environment been more favorable towards them. The author continues that understanding the role of Israelite women in ancient times has a significance place in understanding women in the modern world. She illustrates this by discussing the lives of Jewish women in the coal field economy and in the modern practices in Judaism.
From the Paper "In the masterpiece by Adler, "Engendering Judaism", the author skillfully explains the hardships faced by Israelite women and the obstacles that the Jewish feminists have had to overcome: "Jewish law needed to be reconstructed to eliminate the ancient premise that women are subordinate to men, yet at the same time maintain the law. For without law there is no means to translate the stories and values of Judaism into action" (Jones et al, 58) . Hence taking into account the author's opinion as well as what the biblical law stated above, it is evident that Israeli women were considered not only subordinate to Israeli men due to lack of women rights awareness and inaccurate interpretation of the Hebrew biblical context, it was strict adherence to the rituals, the olden day's traditional laws and socio-economic rules that led to Israelite women's submissive attitude towards their male counterparts for rituals play a pivotal role in shaping our concepts, attitudes, emotions, behavior and social status. For "a ritual is a spiritual ballet", it captures in symbols the emotions that go with an important life transition. "
This paper describes the Appalachian snake handling churches, and presents them as a distinct religious subculture within the whole of American Christianity.
Abstract The paper is a detailed summary of most aspects of the culture, including a discussion of the history and theology of the cult; distinctive religious practices; role of snakes; unique uses of language; historical persecution and prosecution; and the role of the Appalachian environment in the formation of the group.
From the Paper "On a balmy summer day in rural Tennessee in 1909, George Went Hensley sat on top of White Oak Mountain pondering the meaning of a passage he had found in the Bible. The text was from the Book of Mark, Chapter 16, verses 17-18: And these signs shall follow those that believe: In my name they shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Spoken after Christ's Resurrection and immediately before His Ascension, these were the last words that Jesus spoke to his followers. Noting that the verse says that believers shall take up serpents, not can or may, Hensley took these words to be a mandate from God. He asked God for a sign, and his prayers were soon answered when he saw a large timber rattlesnake in a rocky gap. Hensley captured the rattlesnake, and later that week, at a religious meeting at Sale Creek, Tennessee, he cited the Bible and thrust the snake at the congregation challenging them to take it up and test their faith. The congregants handled the serpent, and a new religion was born."
This paper discusses bluegrass music, a form of American roots music with its own roots in the Irish and Scottish traditional music of immigrants from the British Isles, particularly the Scots-Irish immigrants from Appalachia, and the music of slaves.
Abstract This paper explains that bluegrass songs are played with each melody instrument switching off playing the melody each time through, while the others revert to backing; in contrast to old-time music, in which all instruments play the melody together at the same time rather than solo. The author points out that, since the people lived in rural areas, the songs were written about life on the farm or in the hills; this type of music was known as "mountain music" or "country music". The paper relates that the rigid characteristic of the bluegrass genre is usually limited to the traditional, five, acoustic, rather than electric, instruments: banjo (5-string); guitar (flat-top); fiddle; mandolin; and bass.
From the Paper "Bill Monroe learned much about melody and timing from his uncle, and from the singing school classes he attended at church each summer. A middle-aged black man named Arnold Schultz who worked for a local coal company in Bill's neighborhood also helped his musical education. In Schultz's country blues, Bill found a new way to approach music - to allow his emotions to influence his playing and singing. Schultz impressed Bill with stories of music contests he had won throughout Kentucky, and one Saturday night when he was hired to play fiddle for a dance, he took Bill along to play guitar behind him. They were still going strong at dawn."
Abstract The paper explores the theme of loneliness and the concept of "home" in the poem, "A Child in the Hills", by James Still. The paper shows that much has changed since this poem was written, but the essence is still the same; many transplanted Appalachians share this sentiment. A city-dwelling man looks back on his childhood home with nostalgia; part of him is still there, the "child in the hills".
From the Paper "Literary elements comprise the brunt of this poem, transforming it from a broken observation of a childhood left behind to a true work of art. The setting is anonymous?neither time nor particular place is identified, and the language is just vague enough in certain places to be applicable at any given period in time. One can only assume that the land Still speaks of is rural, hilly farmland, but although Still was born and raised in Kentucky, this poem could have been written anywhere."
Abstract This paper explains that the physical environment of a nation helps facilitate human opportunities; the United States' geography has proven a source of economic and historical strength, as well as scientific curiosity. The author points out that the original colonies were mostly temperate in climate; but today, it is difficult to characterize the United States climate, as it is tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the Great Plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the Southwest. The paper relates that the United States is far less regionalized than it used to be because of the simultaneous mobility and immigration shifts. Currently, geographers divide America into fourteen distinct regions, called Megalopolis, the American Manufacturing Core,; the Bypassed East; Appalachia and the Ozarks; the Deep South; the Southern Coastlands; the Agricultural Core; the Great Plains and Prairies; the Empty Interior; the Southwest Border Area; California; the North Pacific Coast; the Northlands; and Hawaii.
From the Paper "The United States is not all urban, even today. It is still one of the breadbaskets of the world in the Midwest and Southern Florida's long growing season and mild winters enable it to be a leader in the production of oranges, lemons, and sugarcane. New York's proximity to harbors brought many immigrants to the land in that region as well as the ability to import new goods and export American goods to other lands. Georgia's verdant and tropical climate made it a place of vacation destinations, and earlier in the nation's history, even a place where the slave trade found a home, because of its ease of growing crops."
Abstract This paper explores the reasons for the extreme poverty that exists in most of the Appalachian region of the U.S., discusses the effects of Calvinism on the continuing despair of the region, and provides possible suggestions for improvement.
From the Paper "While the Appalachian region of the South suffered even in the antebellum heyday of the cotton boom, the condition worsened during the Civil War, when Appalachia suffered from the general devastation affecting the South and the exploitative tactics of Northerners, especially in terms of supply merchants and heavy, unrealistic agricultural prices for much-needed credit lines (148). The banking disaster of the 1930's and poor agricultural distribution and marketing decisions sent the region plunging even further into poverty. Furthermore, the decline in agriculture in the United States, creating difficulties across the country, has led to additional problems for Appalachia."
Abstract The connection of the people to their land is the nature of an Appalachian soul; it is the galvanizing hum that motors generations through its tangled thicket and cold ridge. This paper examines how Kathryn Stripling Byer with gracious imagery, tells the story of a woman's Appalachia, her home.
From the Paper "The unchanging spirit of the South, and the quirky restless soul of Appalachia, is epitomized by repetition. Children in the mountains - East Bend, High Point, Tuxedo, Flat Rock - know their ancestors, and their ancestors land, like it is their own. Stories in the south serve as a modern companion; for generations, in a seemingly endless circle, they have shaped the lives of the future with the lessons, values, and lives of the past. Byer, whose modern approach to the Appalachian spirit is all the more maudlin for its acknowledgement of change, speaks of the land and people like an eulogy, the sad, penultimate note before the end of the song."
Abstract This paper discusses the history of the "trail of tears" in which Cherokees were removed from their native Appalachia and forced to relocate to the harsh plains of Oklahoma. The paper includes a discussion of the treaties broken by the U.S. government.
Abstract The paper relates that traditional nursing in the United States has been accused of being ethnocentric and unable to accommodate cultures other than white Caucasian. The paper examines the cultural issues related to the Appalachian region of the United States and issues that may affect nursing care. The paper explains that the needs of the Appalachian community are different than those in other parts of the country. The paper discusses how the question of spirituality causes a conflict between the needs of the patient and standard ethical practices of the health care system. The paper demonstrates how nurses can play a major role in bridging this gap and developing practices within the Appalachian region that specifically address the need to integrate some type of spirituality into the daily care routine.
Outline:
Understanding Cultural Differences
Bringing Trans-cultural Competence to the Nursing Floor
Health Behaviors and Appalachia Putting it Into Practice
From the Paper "The Appalachian region represents a unique culture within the larger culture of the United States. The most obvious difference that one notices when they encounter someone from that region is their accent. However, if one questions them they may tell you that you are the one with the accent. The Appalachian region is a part of a proud Southern tradition that goes back to the founding days of the United States. Many people passed through the region on their way to the western frontier. Some decided to stay and set roots. These settlers blended into the patchwork quilt that became a symbol of the region."
Abstract The paper overviews the history of the development of coal mining methods in the Appalachian regions. The paper looks at underground mining, strip mining and mountaintop removal mining (MRM) as well as the problem of inadequately controlled and managed coal slurry impoundments and slag heaps. The paper also describes the harmful effects of these methods of mining on the environment. In addition, the paper refers to many studies that all emphasize the fact that a more harmonious balance between industrial coal mining and the environment needs to established.
Outline:
Introduction
The Environmental History of Appalachian Coal Mining
Environmental Impact of Coal Mining in the Appalachians
Conclusion
From the Paper "The issue of coal mining in the Appalachian regions has in recent years been the cause of much debate and contention. The central concern in this debate is the dramatic and severe impact that coal mining has had on the environment of the region. In the age of global warming and climate change the issue of the devastation of the natural environment through mining methods such as mountaintop removal mining (MRM) tends to evoke strong and critical responses."
