Civic and Community Engagement Commons^™

Place Matters: The Role Of Public Libraries As Change Agents In Central Appalachia, Jasmyne R. Lewis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The role of public libraries is changing in response to a multitude of influences and trends. The exponential growth of technology as the primary method of information access, funding challenges, changing demographics, and other mitigating factors have forced public libraries to become more than book repositories. Community library leaders and governing board members are faced with challenges such as decreased funding, community division regarding library services, and soaring costs for library materials and services, as they develop and adopt policies and practices to navigate this ever-changing environment.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to collect data from the public …

Stewards Of The Forest: An Analysis Of Ginseng Harvesters And The Communal Boundaries That Define Their Identity In An Area Of Environmental Degradation, Eric Arthur Edwards

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Research introduced here demonstrates the use of protagonist framing as a means of identifying the boundaries that define a community’s identity in relation to an antagonist. Specifically, this research examines the two-sided nature of boundaries and the impact such boundaries have on the identity of a community. Through the telling narrative of two distinctively contrasting members of the ginseng steward community, this research explores how boundaries and protagonist framing can be used to identify the schemata of interpretation that enables the ginseng steward community to locate, perceive, and label themselves in relation to American society and a capitalist mentality. The …

Return To Main Street : An Assessment Of The Main Street Revitalization Program, Lisa Hechesky

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Once the heart of a town’s commercial district, Main Street in the post-World War II era became a ghost town as suburbanization lured consumers and merchants to new shopping complexes in rural areas. From the 1950s to the 1970s, with the aid of federal dollars cities embarked on various urban renewal projects. These revitalization attempts did not help the slumping commercial districts. In many cases, they destroyed historic buildings and left the cleared city blocks empty for decades. The National Main Street Program, created and administered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, began in 1980 to address problems faced …

Social Disorganization Theory And Crime In West Virginia, Billy Crum

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to test the social disorganization theory by determining how a community’s ability to maintain social control effects crime rate, especially in areas of West Virginia that are experiencing rapid social change. Do lack of social controls and rapid social change effect crime rates in rural areas, and if so, what kinds of crimes are likely to be effected? This study is going to attempt to answer this puzzling question. This study uses poverty rate, unemployment rate, and high school dropout rate as the independent variables, and crime rate as the dependent variable.

This One's For The Children : Collaborative Leadership In A Rural Appalachian Community, Jennifer J. Scharf

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The current research is an ethnographic case study of one collaborative community group that worked toward solving complex problems related to early care and education in their community. The methods used consisted of conducting in-depth interviews and observations, recording and transcribing group meetings, and collecting documents that furthered understanding of the group. The research questions addressed were related to the nature of the relationships among the members, leadership enactment in the group, and how they created positive outcomes and overcame obstacles they faced. Several themes emerged related to each question, confirming and extending current understanding of collaboration and collaborative leadership. …

The Developmental History Of A Social Action Program, Action For Appalachian Youth, Kanawha County, West Virginia, Michael E. Kearney

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Today there are great and ever increasing opportunities for progressive communities to work out solutions to their common social problems and to build a better life for all their citizens. Financial aid is not lacking. It is available from a large array of private and governmental agencies and often these funds go begging for want of community interest and innovative ideas. It is felt therefore that the presentation of one community's experience might be helpful to others by providing an example of what can be done.

The beginning of the process is an idea. By following this idea from its …