TY - JOUR AU - Tedesco, Marie PY - 2010/04/26 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - History of Women in Southern Appalachia: Myth and Reality JF - TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology JA - TRAILS VL - IS - SE - DO - UR - https://trails.asanet.org/article/view/history-of-women-in-southern-appalachia-myth-and SP - AB - The course aims to investigate the history of women in the Southern Mountain region, from the 17th century to the present. The course will begin with an analysis of the historiography of gender in the region and will be followed by a linear overview of the roles of women in the history of Southern Appalachia. Cherokee, African-American, White, and Melungeon women will all be the subjects of historical investigation. The linear overview will be followed by a topical investigation of women’s history. Included among the topics will be women as industrial and agricultural laborers, both slave and free; the varieties of mountain religion, and the "place" of women in the churches; women’s status as reflected in literature of the region; the "fabric" of women’s lives, as revealed in textile arts (including quilting); and music as reflective of gender roles in the Southern Mountains; and women as activists. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on the contrast between the myth of the Appalachian woman, especially, as presented in early 20th century works on the region and in the present-day media, and the reality of Appalachian women’s lives. ER -