{"product_id":"appalachian-valley-case-studies-in-cultural-anthropology-9780030773051","title":"Appalachian Valley (Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology)","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this pithy ethnography detailing the people of the Little Laurel Valley of western North Carolina  Hicks has accomplished an anthropological ideal--he takes us beyond the caricatured features of the hillbilly image and into the Appalachian folk culture  examining the surroundings with a compassionate and observant objectivity. While no longer completely isolated from the mainstream of American culture  the Little Laurel Valley preserves its cultural uniqueness in its local attitudes  speech  kinship relationships  and a strongly felt  cohesive identity based upon a knowledge of positive distinction. Characterized by an emphasis on egalitarianism  the strong belief in personal independence and individualism  clearly defined sex roles  a great regard for the rural life and the household within it  and a pervasive suspicion of urban things and people  the culture of the Little Laurel is reminiscent of earlier colonial American culture  and the small communities of rural Great Britain. Through Hicks keen eyes we can overlook the stereotypical images of Lil Abner and Snuffy Smith  and see in a better light this local culture of distinction that is representative of much that is old-line American. Americans of Anglo-American extraction may find the essence of their identity here  overshadowded and corroded by the material affluence  crassness  and immorality endemic in the mainstream of modern America.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45274228064309,"sku":"ByrdShop_0030773059","price":63.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780030773051.jpg?v=1780494459","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/appalachian-valley-case-studies-in-cultural-anthropology-9780030773051","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}