The social reality of a group of rural, low-status, Appalachian women : a grounded theory study

TLDR: In this article, a qualitative study of low-status, rural Appalachian women is presented, focusing on the social reality of the women in the region and their perceptions of their world.

Abstract: This study was designed to develop a deeper under­ standing of the social realities of low-status, rural Appalachian women. Its methodological base is to be found in phenomenological philosophy which points to the power of the social context in the construction of social meanings. Existing studies of low-status Appalachian women present conflicting pictures of the women and contain little information regarding the women's point of view. Some observers have portrayed the women as members of a traditionalist subculture -unable to adapt to the modern world -exhibiting dysfunctional personality character­ istics (Looff, 1971; Photiadis, 1970; Polansky, 1972; Weller, 1965). Other observers have suggested that the economic exploitation of the region since the nineteenth century and the cultural imperialism of the middle-status newcomers have had an adverse effect on the lives of the indigenous people (Lewis & Knipe, 1978; Whisnant, 1980). As a means of gaining access to the women's percep­ tions of their world, this study used qualitative research methods -participant observation and unstructured interviews. The researcher resided in the community, part-time, and conducted interviews with the participants in their homes. The eighteen women in the study were Appalachian born and raised, currently rearing children,