Women, Development, and Communities for Empowerment in Appalachia

An examination of the class and gender conditions of working-class women in the coal mining fields reveals how they struggled for development and change and how the struggle sometimes lead to empowerment.This book is an examination of gender and social change in the coalfields and nearby areas of Southwest Virginia from the standpoint of working-class Appalachia women. Through intensive life history interviews and participant observation, the author explores women's lives within the spheres of family, work, and community, and how women have changed through participating in grassroots community development, income-generation, labor, and support groups. Grounded in feminist theory, the work offers insights into collective action, empowerment, and development in the United States, and relates these issues to international "women in development" scholarship and practice.