Persistent Elderly Poverty in Rural Appalachia

Abstract

This article focuses on the persistence of poverty among the elderly of rural Appalachia. A case study of current poverty levels in the 49 counties of Appalachian eastern Kentucky indicates continutng high levels of poverty, particularly among elderly women, in an environment characterized by limited resources. Demographic and economic change within the region threaten the continuing existence of traditional social and cultural buffers that, historically, have ameliorated the worst effects of poverty Such buffers include informal support systems and an egalitarian community ideology As the economic, social, and cultural context of poverty in the region changes due to increased integration in a national economic system and society, there is a need for a "new vision" that will provide a culturally appropriate, locally based, response to the structural conditions that perpetuate poverty among the elderly.

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