An ethnographic research report from the Topos Partnership for Resource Media on Central Appalachia's economic transition away from coal towards a more sustainable economy identifies opportunities for engagement and insights into potential pitfalls.
WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK:
The report offers an in-depth understanding of attitudes around coal and economic transition in Central Appalachia, including residents’ lived experience, values and cultural assumptions.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Residents consider Appalachia’s economic transition through three frameworks:
1. Independence Through Work
- Strong values of independence and self-reliance in the region
- Coal jobs have traditionally represented a clear path to economic security and the loss of coal jobs may mean that people will leave the region
- The challenge is discovering what solutions allow families to remain in the region and restore independence
2. Money Flow
- The Money Flow model offers an explanation for coal booms and busts and offers a model to help people think about economic transition
- The economic folk model asserts that coal brought money to the region and now that the flow has slowed, there isn’t enough to support businesses and good-paying jobs
- Gaining access to the flow of money, individually and regionally, is a primary concern and is a filter on other issues
3. Pragmatism
- Residents are suspicious of unrealistic “happy talk” about how money will flow back to the region
- The enthusiasm for coal is based more on practical economics than identity or loyalty
- People are open to conversations about solutions if they seem to lead to an opportunity to secure economic independence, yet there is not a high degree of optimism
Recommendations:
- Speak to desires and anxieties about work and dependency
- Recognize economic concerns about the decline of coal
- Engage in respectful dialogue about a more diverse economy
- Avoid "war on coal" rhetoric
- Avoid symbolic solutions
