A Sociological Analysis Of Chronic Poverty Within The Appalachian Region

The Appalachian region holds immense historical value and has been an area of vast natural resources since the formation of the United States. The Appalachian region has also been commonly associated with crippling poverty and negative stereotypes for hundreds of years. It is important to examine the historical context of the region in an attempt to understand what could cause devastating poverty, while at the same time providing immense profits to outside corporate interests. This paper examines the social, political and economic causes of the chronic poverty found within the region. Different theories of poverty and the history of the political and economic discourse of the area will be examined in an attempt to explain how the internal socioeconomic conditions of the region could lead to the creation of chronic poverty.