Appalachian Studies Minor Requirements (21 Credit Hours)
21 semester hours including:
APST 104 Introduction to Appalachian Studies (3 Credit Hours)
Beginning with the landmark contributions of Mr. Cratis Dearl Williams, this course will introduce students to the theories, methods, and understandings of Appalachian experiences. A broadly interdisciplinary course, it will incorporate the contributions of sociologists, anthropologists, historians, cultural geographers, psychologists, folklorists, and others.
APST 204
Appalachian Culture (3 Credit Hours)
This course will introduce the culture of the Appalachian Region, from its earliest inhabitants, through the various immigrant groups, to the current situation of multicultural mixture.
BHSC 246
Methods of Behavioral Science Research (3 Credit Hours)
Techniques and philosophies of behavioral science research including experimental, quasi experimental, survey, evaluation, field, and unobtrusive designs for the collection and interpretation of information.
Or
APST 300 / SOCI 300 Methods Qualitative Research & Community Development (3 Credit Hours)
This course will provide an introduction to the methods and tools of qualitative analysis and writing. Course material will include training in qualitative research, emphasizing interviewing, oral history collection, and historiography. Students will also have the opportunity to examine ethical issues related to historical writing, research, and presentation of materials. In addition, the course will cover the basic skills needed to conduct historical research, including locating, using, and evaluating sources, and will explore how such work can shape and inform community development initiatives at the local level. Readings will be assigned regarding qualitative methods as well as community development. Students will also be trained in oral history collection. Each student will be required to collect at least one oral history for this course.
12 hours of elective courses, selected from:
APST 202
Service-Learning (3 Credit Hours)
This course has, as its major objective, the encouragement of critical thinking and practical experience, with respect to the concepts of citizenship and social responsibility. To achieve this objective, the course will examine Service Learning from historical and contemporary perspectives and provides students with a guided community-based learning experience.
APST 401 / SOCI 401
Feuds, Fights, Murders, and Violence: Issues in Appalachia (3 Credit Hours)
Employing the approaches of a number of social scientific perspectives, this course will try to better understand violence, murder, and feuding in Appalachia and in the Upland South. This course will consider these issues through the examination of a series of case studies including a murder case in the Ozarks, the Hatfield-McCoy feud in Kentucky and West Virginia, and the violation of honor leading to violence in the South. Cross-listed with SOCI 401.
APST 381
Special Topics in Appalachian Studies (3 Credit Hours)
ENGL 252
Appalachian Literature (3 Credit Hours)
An interdisciplinary study of the literature(s) of Appalachia, focusing on the region’s cultural richness and diversity, exploring such texts as novels, poems, films, and recorded song from the perspectives of literary critics and cultural historians. Odd years only.
ANTH 234
American Folklore (3 Credit Hours)
Folklore speaks to the creative expression of tradition in everyday life including the cultural, social, and family groups we are part of, and the formal or informal rituals in which we participate. Examples in this course are drawn from the diversity of American life. Topics may include, but are not limited to, storytelling, social media, humor, food ways, architecture, music, and the handmade. Students learn how folklore is documented and analyzed through readings, fieldwork, and presentations. Odd years only.
GEOG 241
Geography of Appalachia (3 Credit Hours)
This course will provide a systematic analysis of the physical, demographic, economic, and cultural characteristics of the Appalachian landscape, with emphasis on the great diversity within the region.
HIST 433
History of Appalachia (3 Credit Hours)
A survey of the region from settlement to the present, with emphasis on the period since the Civil War. The course examines the diversity of historical development within the region, and the paradox of relative isolation along with integrating aspects of industrialization and modernization. Odd years only.
APST 241 / SOCI 241
Sociology of Appalachia (3 Credit Hours)
Uses the basic principles and concepts of sociology to study life in the Appalachian region. The areas of study include socio-economic class, culture, folklore, social institutions, the family, religion, schooling, poverty, and development. Cross-lists with SOCI 241.
APST 304
Peoples of Appalachia (3 Credit Hours)
Those living in the southern Appalachian Mountains are not a homogeneous bunch. Instead, there are diverse identities and histories for those living on the ridges, in the valleys, and in the hollows. By examining case studies of such peoples as African Americans, Hispanics, Cherokee, Melungeons, and coal miners, this course will explore these diverse experiences. Audiovisual materials will be used to supplement discussions and lectures.
