Ital-lachians : Narrative Identity of Italian Americans in Appalachia

Abstract

Narrative Analysis is a method which enables individual, storied lives to be examined as study participants reveal themselves through personal recollections and insight. The social world in which these identities are situated is also revealed through the analysis process.

In this study, the Narrative Approach is used to understand the values placed on ethnic identity building in relation to the Italian American community in Appalachia, as well as how these identities are performed in a social context.

Appalachia is a distinct region running along the Appalachian Mountain chain from Northern Georgia to Southern New York, encompassing over 200,000 square miles. Typically understood as a homogenous, insular community, the Appalachian Region has seen significant influence by the Italian American community within the region, testing these assertions. This study hopes to discover how Italian American ethnic and Appalachian Regional identities here intersect, overlap, and diverge.