Social and Economic Stratification in Appalachia - Outside Perspectives and Stereotypes

Outside Perspectives and Stereotypes

Though mainstream Americans assume that Appalachian culture is homogeneous within the region, many distinct locales and sub-regions exist . Over-generalizations of Appalachianites as impulsive, personalistic, and individualistic “hillbillies” abound. Many scholars speculate that these stereotypes have been created by powerful economic and political forces to justify exploitation of Appalachian peoples. For example, the same forces that put barriers in place to prevent the development of civic culture promulgate the image of Appalachian peoples as politically apathetic, without a social consciousness, and deserving of their disenfranchised state. In spite of the region’s desperate need for aid, weariness of being represented as “helpless, dumb and poor” often creates an attitude of hostility among Appalachianites .