Culture, Poverty and Education in Appalachian Kentucky

Abstract

Appalachian Kentucky has a long history ofpoverty and subsistence living that has permeated the social structure and culture, including public education. Consequently, poverty has actually postponed or delayed the development of public education, as well as contributed to nonparticipation in the education system by much of the population well into the 20 th century (McVey, 1949). Livin's more important than schoolin' is a powerful statement by one mountain woman that condenses a complex socioeconomic situation into the priorities of mountain life (Reck & Reck, 1980, p. 19). Four books are considered necessary background reading before beginning any project in Appalachian studies: Appalachiaon OurMind (Shapiro, 1978); Yesterday's People (Weller, 1965); Miners, Mil/hands, andMountaineers (Eller, 1982); and Night Comes to the Cumberland(Caudill, 1963). These four sources are consistently cited in the majority of the literature on Appalachia. The authors describe a multi­ faceted culture that includes geographic and social isolation; the relationship of the people to the land; the value of kinship ties; the relevance of schooling; a stagnant economy; distrust of outsiders and government; powerlessness and reluctance to change; fatalism; and the results ofpolitical and economic exploitation (Ball, 1969; Billings, 1974; DeYoung, 1995; Fisher, 1977; Gaventa, 1977; Lewis, 1970; Miller, 1977). The interconnections of all ofthese characteristics make the study ofjust one or two characteristics difficult. Historical and Sociological Overview The fIrst settlers to the Kentucky mountains were English, Scottish, and Irish immigrants to the United States. They were a strong and stubborn lot, opinionated and often cruel (McVey, 1949; Weller, 1965). The collective group reflected the perennial frontiersmen, interested in freedom from the restraints of law, order, and a differing culture. Settling into wealth, comfort, and the benefIts of a regulated society was not the mountaineer dream or preference (Caudill, 1963; Weller, 1965). The settlers in the mountains were rugged, ingenious, and wanted to be left alone. When commerce, industry, and education were growing and developing in much of the country, little change or progress found its way into the Appalachian Mountains (Clarke, 1997; Shapiro, 1978).

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