A Region Framed By Scholarship
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gutie
rrz.html
http://www.arc.gov/images/ap
pregion/regionmap.gifc.org
 Global
Studies Major:
• Region: Appalachian
Studies
• Theme: Peace & Social
Justice Studies
 Applied
Geospatial
Technology Minor
 Started as a final
project in Intro to GIS
 Uses Journal of
Appalachian Studies
http://www.unc.edu/~whisnant/
appal/maps/Appreg.gif
 Ballad
Collection
Maps and Concepts
• Cecil Sharp: one of the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cecilsharp-appalachia-map.gif
first people to
conceptualize and
“explore” Appalachia
via ballads
• Sharp searched for
English and Scottish
ballads, providing bias
against minority groups
 Physiographic
Divisions of the
United States
• Published with
Association of
American of
Geographers
• Classifies simply on
geographical and
geological features
http://www.nationalatlas.gov/100topos/
physiographicDivisionsMap.png
 Appalachian
Regional Commission
(ARC) Definition
• ARC Formed in 1963
• Now includes 420
counties, stretching
from Maine to
Mississippi
• Formed to combat
poverty in the region
http://www.arc.gov/images/
appregion/regionmap.gif
 Raitz
& Ulack
Definition
• Both researchers have
done a cognitive study
of definition of
Appalachia
• Raitz has published a
book about definition
• Includes the Piedmont
and other sections not
included in ARC


General areas of study focus around
“central and south” Appalachia
This could be explained because:
• Traditional academic patterns of
focusing on central and
southern Appalachia
• Stereotypes of Appalachia as
being rural, therefore leaving
out the major urban areas of the
region: in the north (Pittsburgh)
and south (Atlanta, Asheville,
Knoxville)
• Current events relating to
mountaintop removal practices
in the central Appalachian
region
 Data
Collection
• Recorded all places
that appeared in the
Journal of Appalachian
Studies
• Obtained access to
years 2000-2011
• Filed in excel sheets
according to City,
County, State, FIPS, and
Topic
http://www.catscradlebks.n
et/pictures/2430037.jpg
 Terminology
• FIPS: Federal
Information
Processing Standards
• A five digit number
unique to every US
county and state
• Used this to join to the
US county shapefile
(downloaded from US
Census TIGER files)
FID CITY COUNTY
STATE
FIPS
TOPIC
1
Harlan
Kentucky
21095
Politics
2
Leslie
Kentucky
21131
Politics
3
Perry
Kentucky
21193
Politics
4
Wise
Virginia
51195
Politics
5
Kanawha
West Virginia
54039
Politics
6
Giles
Virginia
51071
Economy
7
Pulaski
Virginia
51155
Economy
8
Montgomery Virginia
51121
Economy
9
Floyd
Virginia
51063
Economy
Madison
North Carolina 37115
Economy
10

Process
• Once joined, topics were
queried out in symbology
section
• All layouts were
standardized for colors and
formats
• Selected counties based
upon joined table attribute
of state
• Created standard
deviations from those
selections, not tied to a
particular case

Found different cycles of studies
• Many times regions grew and
shrank, most likely due to the
different current events
around that area at the time
• Urban areas such as
Pittsburgh Atlanta and
Knoxville were prevalent
throughout many articles.
• Trend of fewer and fewer
instances of place specific
articles as the studies went on.
More and more about the
region as a whole, or applying
the region to a global scale.


http://www.sixwatergrog.com/2012/04
/playing-styles-irish-vs-old-time.html

http://www.appalachianforest
.us/images/b-map-01.png
Shows the narrowing of the field
of Appalachian studies down to
very region specific areas
Also shows growing range of
Appalachian studies to the
world, including many
comparisons and global
analogies
Perhaps is a sign that
academics are broadening their
approach and categorizing their
studies under a more global
approach rather than
postmodern locality






Another definition of a place, via
geographical distribution.
Allows us to see areas that are
talked about, and therefore helps
define fields of study/ or key
areas to where people belong
That is an irreplaceable factor,
one which
Helps not only us define where
we live, but how others define
where they live.
How can we interact in this new
age of globality and relations
between the many places now
emerging on the globe?
Questions?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/com
mons/6/66/AppalachianLocatorMap2.png
http://www.appalachiantrail.com/
hiking_appalachian_trail_map.jpg
Appalachian Regional Development , U.S. Code.
Title 40, §§ 14102 et seq. 1998.
 Fenneman, Nevin M. “Physiographic Divisions of
the United States.” Annals of the Association of
American Geographers 6 (January 1916): 19–98.
 Raitz, Karl B. Appalachia- A Regional Geography:
Land, People, and Development. Boulder, Colo:
Westview Press, 1984.
 Raitz, Karl B., and Richard Ulack. “Cognitive Maps
of Appalachia.” Geographical Review 71, no. 2
(April 1, 1981): 201–213. doi:10.2307/214188.
