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An Exploration Of Poverty In Central Appalachia: Questions Of Culture, Industry, And Technology, Cara Robinson

Social Work and Urban Studies Faculty Research

By most government statistical definitions, Central Appalachia is one of the most impoverished regions in the United States. Many of the region’s residents are low income, dependent on government benefits, have high rates of obesity and diabetes, and low rates of college educational obtainment. Central Appalachia is historically tied to the coal mining and railroad industries. Many scholars believe this historical bond created an internal colony of company-dependent residents who have been unable to transition successfully from those industry’s boom eras or escape the lingering effects of industry environmental, health and economic degradation. While coal mining stripped the land of …