Power and Place: Preservation, Progress, and the Culture War over Land

Rural life and culture are essential for American society, providing a practical and symbolic foundation for our values and identities. Power and Place: Preservation, Progress, and the Culture War over Land explores the ongoing culture wars that pit conservation against economic progress, shedding light on the physical and emotional parameters of cultural attachment to land.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 12 December 2023
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky

Rural life and culture play a vital role in American society, serving as a practical and symbolic foundation for our cherished values and our very existence as a species. One of the key elements in preserving these values is the stewardship of cultural diversity and the places that nurture it, such as rural America. These places not only teach us how to use land to make a living and a life, but also help us forge and carry on our identities and connect with our history. They can also provide valuable insights into managing the delicate balance between environmental preservation and economic progress. Power and Place: Preservation, Progress, and the Culture War over Land delves into the ongoing culture wars that pit conservation against economic progress. Author Melinda Bollar Wagner began her research as a study of Appalachia's long-standing status as an energy sacrifice zone, but it evolved into a twenty-four-year project that sheds new light on the physical and emotional parameters of cultural attachment to land. Through interviews with over 220 residents from ten communities in five Appalachian counties, Power and Place gives voice to rural citizens whose perspectives on critical energy, environmental, and infrastructure decisions are often overlooked.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780813198224