“Dirty Mourning”: Appalachia, Identity, and Planetary Sociology

Abstract

This chapter explores how identity formation in Appalachia is impacted by globalized processes. Residents of the region are often understood as inhabiting space belated which ignores the ways that global processes of extraction, exploitation, colonialism, and national politics come to impact the region and its inhabitants. Rooted in narratives of time, death, and belonging, personal identity formation in Appalachia is as rich and complex, while often unseen, as the region is itself. By understanding the way selective hegemonies and colonial narratives have impacted the region, we can begin to explore how these same concepts have begun to impact personal development.

Citation

Nelson, B. (2023), "“Dirty Mourning”: Appalachia, Identity, and Planetary Sociology", Dahms, H.F. (Ed.) Planetary Sociology (Current Perspectives in Social Theory, Vol. 40), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 45-61. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0278-120420230000040003