Even some enlightened academicians automatically--and
incorrectly--connect illiteracy to Appalachia, contends Katherine
Kelleher Sohn. After overhearing two education professionals refer
to the southern accent of a waiter and then launch into a few
redneck jokes, Sohn wondered why rural, working-class white people
are not considered part of the multicultural community. "Whistlin'
and Crowin' Women of Appalachia: Literacy Practices since College"
examines the power of women to rise above cultural constraints,
complete their college degrees, assume positions of responsibility,
and ultimately come to voice.
Sohn, a born southerner and assimilated Appalachian who moved
from the city more than thirty years ago, argues that an underclass
of rural whites is being left out of multicultural conversations.
She shares how her own search for identity in the academic world
(after enrolling in a doctoral program at age fifty) parallels the
journeys of eight nontraditional, working-class women. Through
interviews and case studies, Sohn illustrates how academic literacy
empowers women in their homes, jobs, and communities, effectively
disproving the Appalachian adage: "Whistlin' women and crowin'
hens, always come to no good ends."
Sohn situates the women's stories within the context of theory,
self confidence, and place. She weaves the women's words with her
own, relating voice to language, identity, and power. As the women
move from silence to voice throughout and after college--by
maintaining their dialect, discovering the power of expressivist
writing, gaining economic and social power, and remaining in their
communities--they discover their identity as strong women of
Appalachia.
Sohnfocuses on the power of place, which figures predominantly
in the identity of these women, and colorfully describes the
region. These Appalachian women who move from silence to voice are
the purveyors of literacy and the keepers of community, says Sohn.
Serving as the foundation of Appalachian culture in spite of a
patriarchal society, the women shape the region even as it shapes
them.
Geared to scholars of literacy studies, women's studies, and
regional studies, "Whistlin' and Crowin' Women of Appalachia" will
also resonate with those working with other marginalized
populations who are isolated economically, geographically, or
culturally.
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