[Augustine23613]

I grew up in southern Appalachia. Keep in mind that ‘Appalachia’ is a vast area stretching from southern New York to northern Mississippi, however, some generalizations are possible. The religion is overwhelmingly fundamentalist Christian and it is a part of daily life. Indeed, many rural areas are ‘dry’ because alcohol is seen as a great social and spiritual evil. (There are sizeable Catholic populations in the larger cities.) Socially, it is primarily rural, though keep in mind that Pittsburgh is in the middle of Appalachia and other large cities such as Cincinnati, Nashville, and Atlanta are on its periphery. There are many small cities of 25,000 to 100,000 people and these are the hubs of economic and cultural life. The people are generally friendly but it is not ‘Southern hospitality’ as such. Historically, the prime industries have been coal and steel but this is disappearing fast. Health standards are not as high as in more developed parts of the nation, but excellent health care is available in the urban centers and many patients are drawn from the adjacent mountain areas. The population is mostly descendants of British Isles nationalities (English, Scotch-Irish, Welsh, etc.) with significant German and Slavic pockets and much Indian ancestry. There is even an extended community of dark-skinned people in southern Appalachian usually called ‘Melungeons’; their origins are uncertain. I would add that Appalachia is a land of stunning natural beauty and biodiversity; I have travelled in virtually every county of central and southern Appalachia and always find new places to explore when I go there.

User Detail :  

Name : Augustine23613, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 39, City : Columbia, State : SC, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Lori]

I’m doing a research project about people living in the Appalachians. I need to know about their religious, social and medical considerations, and some physical cues or characteristics. Thanks

User Detail :  

Name : Lori, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Nizzardo, State : CT, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[Marc22358]

I’ve lived in the Appalachian Mountain region all my life(West Virginia), although I’ve never been deep into the mountains. From a religious point of view, the area is very Protestant. Methodism, Baptism, and Episcopalism are prevelant in my home area in the Eastern Panhandle. The only medical consideration that seems distinct to the region could be black lung associated with coal mining. Especially in West Virginia, where coal mining is the major source of employment in many isolated towns. I don’t have any figures for you, but I’m sure they are out there on the Web. Socially, its hard to speak without making generalizations. Culturally, bluegreass music began in the Appalachians, probably near the North Carolina/Kentucky border. The area tends to be socially conservative with issues like gun control and gay marriage, although states like WV are heavily Democratic in political affiliation. There are no physical characteristics that I can think of that seperate Appalachian people from anyone else. Hope this helps.

User Detail :  

Name : Marc22358, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 24, City : Morgantown, State : WV, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Sara]

People living in Appalachia are as different as day and night. We’re black. We’re white. We’re skinny. We’re fat. It would be like trying to take a large city and generalize all of its inhabitants. All religions are represented. I personally am Catholic. But, we have synagogues, temples, Islamic centers, etc, etc. I’ve never met a hillbilly; I probably never will. But, one thing I do know is that Appalachians are not all the same. Even if you’re talking in terms of history, there is a great difference among the people of Appalachia. In fact, I think the only thing Appalachians can say they have common is the sense of togetherness that comes from constantly having to showcase our differences and reacting against the stereotypes which have been unduly placed upon us.

User Detail :  

Name : Sara, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Catholic, Age : 23, City : Charleston, State : WV, Country : United States, Occupation : Techncial Writer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, 

[Ben]

Being born and raised in West Virginia, I guess I know a bit about what it’s like to be an ‘Appalachian,’ but it’s really not all that different from most other areas of the country. The biggest difference would simply have to be in the fact that the area has a very large number of poor white people, moreso than anywhere else in the United States. In fact, West Virginia has a higher percentage of poor white people than any other state. This may be partly due to the fact that the area has very few minorities (the state is about 97 percent white), and unfortunately, there are almost always going to be poor people in every area. Whereas minority people bear the brunt of this in many areas, they simply aren’t here in great enough numbers to suffer the same fate. Other than that, the economy is depressed, being based for the most part over the last 150 years on coal and steel, both of which are suffering. As far as religion, people are mostly Christian, from varying sects. Catholicism is a large denomination in my area.

User Detail :  

Name : Ben, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 25, City : Morgantown, State : WV, Country : United States, Occupation : salesperson, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Author]

Posts