Unemployment and Foreclosure in Southern Appalachia
The impact of Unemployment and Foreclosure in Southern Appalachia is made worse by the traditional sexual roles of men and women throughout the region.
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Unemployment across the United States is high, but in Southern Appalachia it is much higher. When plants and industries close, people lose high-paying jobs, and often they do not have education or skills to find comparable employment. Often, there is no other employment available, and, if there is, it is at a much lower salary and little or no benefits. Although it may not make sense to an outsider, the culture in Appalachia is not conducive to just picking up and moving away to find a better opportunity elsewhere. Like the old trees that still tower over much of the landscape, people’s roots run very deep here.
When unemployment and the often resulting foreclosure come into the life of a man or woman from southern Appalachia, much more than a job or a home is at stake. For the man, often the main wage earner in the family, the loss of a job and the ability to provide for the family destroys every remnant of his self-confidence. It calls into question his entire value as a man. This often results in alcoholism or even domestic violence or unrest.
For the woman, in her traditional role as a wife and mother, this situation is equally unsettling. She has her entire identity wrapped up in the home. Women here are elevated by their homemaking skills. The fireside environment that they provide their family is the goal in their existence, and when that home is gone, there is such an unsettling and lack of purpose. The home defined who she was, and now that marker is gone.
Of course, not all people in Southern Appalachia hold to these traditional sexual roles, but even those who don’t are impacted by the mentality that thinks a woman’s value is her homemaking skills and a man’s job is his way of leading and providing for his family. You can see the shame in a man’s eyes when he is at this point in his life. Often, these proud men will refuse government aid of any kind until it is clear that they have no other way to feed their family. Fortunately, most in this area, even in more urbanized areas, have gardens of varying sizes where they grow food to supplement the grocery budget.
The connection of which we spoke earlier also plays a large role in the survival or the family unit during job loss and foreclosure. The support of family in providing food and shelter in the area goes without saying. It is not at all uncommon here to see grandchildren basically being raised by grandparents.
This area is not like any other part of the country, and people from outside need to realize that the view is different from here. Job loss and foreclosure strike at the heart of everything these grand people are about.
3 Comments
Oh yes, the recent murder of that Census worker may show that the people in that area of the country are very different indeed.
I do not want to get into a word sparring match with you by any means, and I appreciate your reading my article. But, I will say that I don’t think you understand the people of this area. I copied and pasted the following from the article I read on the census worker’s death:
“According to the sheriff, there’s only been one murder in Clay County in three years, reports CBS News correspondent Dave Browde.”
I don’t know where you live, but can your city or town say that?
Just wanting to stand up for “my people.” LOL
Have a great day.
I’d imagine you would be able to boast such a statistic if there were the remote possibility that social norms,stradegy,and pressure conveniently arranged a demograghic that forced out those who did not fit the general patterns approved in the area i.e. no diversity of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.