GROUP 2

WORKFEST PREDEPARTURE MEETING 2015

STEREOTYPES OF
APPALACHIA
White
Poor
Dirty
Isolated
Too many children
No education
Accents
Closed-minded
Religious
No shoes

APPALACHIAN VALUES
People came seeking both religious and secular
freedoms not provided to them by their birth countries.
Formal education was abandoned in the mountains.
Appalachian values are similar to those held during
early American times.
Religion is an important primary source of beliefs.
Culture and religion are always intertwined.
Emphasis on individualism, self-reliance, and pride.
Society is family centered.
Appalachian society is focused on tolerance and polite
behavior.
Supported all wars except for Vietnam.

CULTURE, POVERTY,
EDUCATION
Original settlers desired isolation. This sentiment is still
expressed by many today.
Society of independence that shifted to society of
individualism.
Public schools were not funded by the state until 1904.
Isolation initially encouraged by landscape.
Environmental and cultural influences both perpetuate
the existence of poverty in Appalachia.
Most people hold a fatalistic viewpoint of life.
Cultural views and norms have been passed down
through the generations.
Poverty and poor education are interconnected.

CHILDREN OF THE
MOUNTAINS

Central Appalachia has up to three times the

national poverty rate, an epidemic of prescription
drug abuse, the shortest lifespan of the nation,
toothlessness, cancer, and chronic depression.

Now, highways link mountain regions and have

reduced the amount of time needed to commute.
Fully functional schools have replaced one-room
schoolhouses and education has increased because
of it.
40% of the Appalachian region remains in poverty
today.
UNITE combines law enforcement, treatment, and
education and works to decrease drug problems in
the area.
16% of coal comes from Appalachia.

WOMEN IN APPALACHIA
The New Opportunity School works with Appalachian women over
the age of 30 who face various economic hardships.
One challenge many women face is discouragement.
In nearly every line of work, women face a pay gap. This is
increased when the women are burdened with economic trouble.
New programs help girls learn things other than traditional gender
roles.
Rates of depression are approximately 40 percent higher in
women, and nearly 3 times higher for those below the poverty
line.
Schools and programs work to increase womens self-confidence.
Girls are beginning to discover what they are capable of
accomplishing.
Once they feel confident in themselves, they are more likely to
succeed.

DIVERSITY IN
APPALACHIA
Appalachia is a historically diverse region, beginning
with Native Americans when the region was settled.
African American slaves were being forced into the
region by the mid 1850s. The population was on the
rise into the 1860s.
Appalachia became a popular destination for
immigrant workers moving from European countries.
Employment was decimated in the early 20 th century
by the Great Depression.
Contemporary Appalachia is steadily becoming more
multicultural after facing a decline in minority
populations.
Mountain communities are becoming less isolated.

RACIAL DIVERSITY

Recent population growth has been primarily

minorities.
The region was first inhabited by Cherokee and
Shawnee Native American groups.
Many slaves moved to Appalachia in the years
following the Civil War in order to escape the
oppression of the Deep South.
Racism is still prevalent, especially with the growing
Hispanic population.
Though the culture within Appalachia is very blended,
the area is still skeptical of outsiders.
First step to tackling problems in society is to
recognize the diversity of the Appalachian region.