Whistlin' and Crowin' Women of Appalachia
Whistlin' and Crowin' Women of Appalachia

Author: Katherine Kelleher Sohn

Publisher: SIU Press

Published: 2006-03-01

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 0809390949

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Even some enlightened academicians automatically—and incorrectly—connect illiteracy to Appalachia, contends Katherine Kelleher Sohn. After overhearing two education professionals refer to the southern accent of a waiter and then launch into a few redneck jokes, Sohn wondered why rural, working-class white people are not considered part of the multicultural community. Whistlin’ and Crowin’ Women of Appalachia: Literacy Practices since College examines the power of women to rise above cultural constraints, complete their college degrees, assume positions of responsibility, and ultimately come to voice. Sohn, a born southerner and assimilated Appalachian who moved from the city more than thirty years ago, argues that an underclass of rural whites is being left out of multicultural conversations. She shares how her own search for identity in the academic world (after enrolling in a doctoral program at age fifty) parallels the journeys of eight nontraditional, working-class women. Through interviews and case studies, Sohn illustrates how academic literacy empowers women in their homes, jobs, and communities, effectively disproving the Appalachian adage: “Whistlin’ women and crowin’ hens, always come to no good ends.” Sohn situates the women’s stories within the context of theory, self confidence, and place. She weaves the women’s words with her own, relating voice to language, identity, and power. As the women move from silence to voice throughout and after college—by maintaining their dialect, discovering the power of expressivist writing, gaining economic and social power, and remaining in their communities—they discover their identity as strong women of Appalachia. Sohn focuses on the power of place, which figures predominantly in the identity of these women, and colorfully describes the region. These Appalachian women who move from silence to voice are the purveyors of literacy and the keepers of community, says Sohn. Serving as the foundation of Appalachian culture in spite of a patriarchal society, the women shape the region even as it shapes them. Geared to scholars of literacy studies, women’s studies, and regional studies, Whistlin’ and Crowin’ Women of Appalachia will also resonate with those working with other marginalized populations who are isolated economically, geographically, or culturally.

Appalachian Cultural Competency
Appalachian Cultural Competency

Author: Susan Emley Keefe

Publisher: Univ. of Tennessee Press

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 9781572333338

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Health and human service practitioners who work in Appalachia know that the typical “textbook” methods for dealing with clients often have little relevance in the context of Appalachian culture. Despite confronting behavior and values different from those of mainstream America, these professionals may be instructed to follow organizational mandates that are ineffective in mountain communities, subsequently drawing criticism from their clients for practices that are deemed insensitive or controversial. In Appalachian Cultural Competency, Susan E. Keefe has assembled fifteen essays by a multidisciplinary set of scholars and professionals, many nationally renowned for their work in the field of Appalachian studies. Together, these authors argue for the development of a cultural model of practice based on respect for local knowledge, the value of community diversity, and collaboration between professionals and local communities, groups, and individuals. The essays address issues of both practical and theoretical interest, from understanding rural mountain speech to tailoring mental health therapies for Appalachian clients. Other topics include employee assistance programs for Appalachian working-class women, ways of promoting wellness among the Eastern Cherokees, and understanding Appalachian death practices.Keefe advocates an approach to delivering health and social services that both acknowledges and responds to regional differences without casting judgments or creating damaging stereotypes and hierarchies. Often, she observes, the “reflexive” approach she advocates runs counter to formal professional training that is more suited to urban and non-Appalachian contexts. Health care professionals, mental health therapists, social workers, ministers, and others in social services will benefit from the specific cultural knowledge offered by contributors, illustrated by case studies in a myriad of fields and situations. Grounded in real, tested strategies—and illustrated clearly through the authors’ experiences—Appalachian Cultural Competency is an invaluable sourcebook, stressing the importance of cultural understanding between professionals and the Appalachian people they serve.

Talking Appalachian
Talking Appalachian

Author: Amy D. Clark

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

Published: 2013-03-12

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 081314096X

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Tradition, community, and pride are fundamental aspects of the history of Appalachia, and the language of the region is a living testament to its rich heritage. Despite the persistence of unflattering stereotypes and cultural discrimination associated with their style of speech, Appalachians have organized to preserve regional dialects -- complex forms of English peppered with words, phrases, and pronunciations unique to the area and its people. Talking Appalachian examines these distinctive speech varieties and emphasizes their role in expressing local history and promoting a shared identity. Beginning with a historical and geographical overview of the region that analyzes the origins of its dialects, this volume features detailed research and local case studies investigating their use. The contributors explore a variety of subjects, including the success of African American Appalachian English and southern Appalachian English speakers in professional and corporate positions. In addition, editors Amy D. Clark and Nancy M. Hayward provide excerpts from essays, poetry, short fiction, and novels to illustrate usage. With contributions from well-known authors such as George Ella Lyon and Silas House, this balanced collection is the most comprehensive, accessible study of Appalachian language available today.

Rethinking Gifted Education
Rethinking Gifted Education

Author: James H. Borland

Publisher: Teachers College Press

Published: 2003-01-01

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 0807743046

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Gifted education is in a period of transition unlike any it has experienced in this generation. Thinkers within the field and without are questioning the practice of gifted education, the theoretical foundations on which this practice rests, and even the value and legitimacy of the concept of giftedness. This fresh and provocative volume contains essays by leading thinkers on gifted education and by writers outside the field who have examined it critically. Each author examines, reconsiders, and challenges the assumptions and beliefs underlying the theory and practice of gifted education, providing a "roadmap" to guide both current considerations of and future planning for gifted education programs.

Handbook of Feminist Research
Handbook of Feminist Research

Author: Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber

Publisher: SAGE Publications, Incorporated

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 774

ISBN-13:

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The topic feminist research has too often been neglected in standard research methods books. The Handbook of Feminist Research represents the establishment of a new tradition or paradigm in viewing how the research process is implemented. Feminist researchers bring unique epistemological and methodological perspectives to the research process. Feminists′ approach to methodology allows for `new′ types of questions about women′s lives and those of `other/ed′ marginalized groups to be addressed within their respective fields of research. This Handbook stresses the interconnections between epistemology, methodology and methods.They are not de-linked from each other but work together in dynamic ways to produce new knowledge and this openness itself is also characteristic of how feminist researchers approach their work. Feminists engage synergistically with all three aspects of the research process - epistemology, methodology and method. Through a synergistic connection between these elements of research: epistemology; methodology; and method, we find that feminist research often shapes new research endeavors that are greater than `the sum of their parts′. In other words, while traditional research employs these components of research, the synergistic engagement of these components in feminist research questions the status quo, aiming to raise our consciousness about how we do research. Looking at the selections provided in this Handbook we are able to look at feminist research, its implementation of synergistic use of epistemology, methodology and method, and the resulting qualities of feminist research in practice.

Hill Women
Hill Women

Author: Cassie Chambers

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Published: 2021-01-12

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 1984818937

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After rising from poverty to earn two Ivy League degrees, an Appalachian lawyer pays tribute to the strong “hill women” who raised and inspired her, and whose values have the potential to rejuvenate a struggling region. “Destined to be compared to Hillbilly Elegy and Educated.”—BookPage (starred review) “A gritty, warm love letter to Appalachian communities and the resourceful women who lead them.”—Slate Nestled in the Appalachian mountains, Owsley County, Kentucky, is one of the poorest places in the country. Buildings are crumbling as tobacco farming and coal mining decline. But strong women find creative ways to subsist in the hills. Through the women who raised her, Cassie Chambers traces her path out of and back into the Kentucky mountains. Chambers’s Granny was a child bride who rose before dawn every morning to raise seven children. Granny’s daughter, Ruth—the hardest-working tobacco farmer in the county—stayed on the family farm, while Wilma—the sixth child—became the first in the family to graduate from high school. Married at nineteen and pregnant with Cassie a few months later, Wilma beat the odds to finish college. She raised her daughter to think she could move mountains, like the ones that kept her safe but also isolated from the larger world. Cassie would spend much of her childhood with Granny and Ruth in the hills of Owsley County. With her “hill women” values guiding her, she went on to graduate from Harvard Law. But while the Ivy League gave her opportunities, its privileged world felt far from her reality, and she moved home to help rural Kentucky women by providing free legal services. Appalachian women face issues from domestic violence to the opioid crisis, but they are also keeping their towns together in the face of a system that continually fails them. With nuance and heart, Chambers breaks down the myth of the hillbilly and illuminates a region whose poor communities, especially women, can lead it into the future.