Examining Feminism in Appalachia through Contemporary Issues: A Discussion of Intersections and Place

At the 2016 conference, the session “Examining Feminism in Appalachia through Historical Scholarship: A Discussion of Women of the Mountain South” attracted a large audience, and the discussion among presenters and attendees brought up many contemporary aspects of feminism in Appalachia that were mentioned only briefly due to the session time limit. For example, feminism is not fully integrated within Appalachian Studies, and the concept of place is not significantly present in feminist discussions on intersectionality. Thus, we want to carry the conversation forward this year by turning our attention to contemporary feminism in Appalachia. The presenters represent a mix of academic, community, and activist perspectives, and we intend to begin the conversation by introducing topics including the intersections of power and privilege for women and feminist ideas in Appalachia, the importance of social media and feminism in Appalachia, and ecofeminist activism and livelihoods. Moreover, we intend to promote feminist commitments to social justice by making space available for audience participation in order to invite as many voices into the discussion as possible. The purpose of this roundtable discussion is to continue and advance the discussion of feminism in Appalachia among and for scholars, activists, and community members who are engaged in work related to women’s and gender issues.