Appalachian Studies: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Appalachian Studies offers an interdisciplinary exploration of the rich and complex heritage of the Appalachian region, spanning from the Southern to the Mid-Atlantic United States. This program examines the historical development, social dynamics, cultural expressions, and economic challenges unique to the area, preparing students to engage critically with regional identity and change.

• History of Appalachia: Traces the region’s evolution from early settlement through industrial transformation, highlighting pivotal events and their lasting impacts on community formation and regional identity.
• Sociology of Appalachian Communities: Investigates social structures, family systems, migration patterns, and demographic shifts within Appalachian populations, with attention to resilience and adaptation.
• Cultural Expressions and Traditions: Explores folkways, storytelling, craftwork, and regional aesthetics as vital components of Appalachian heritage and contemporary cultural production.
• Political Economy of the Region: Analyzes patterns of resource extraction, labor dynamics, economic dependency, and policy influence shaping development and inequality in Appalachian areas.
• Community-Based Research Methods: Emphasizes collaborative, ethical inquiry with local populations to address real-world challenges and support sustainable, locally driven solutions.
• Ethnomusicology and Sound Heritage: Studies traditional and contemporary music forms, including bluegrass, old-time, and gospel, as cultural narratives and expressions of regional identity.
• Oral and Written Languages of Appalachia: Examines dialects, linguistic variation, and written vernaculars as both linguistic phenomena and markers of cultural continuity and resistance.