SYE 4007 - Cultural Encounters: Appalachia in the City

Hours: 4
In this course, students examine the historical migration of Appalachians into Midwestern cities and the contemporary experiences of Appalachians in Cincinnati and Columbus. The course asks students to call on many perspectives, including their own, and to use many disciplines, including sociology, psychology, literature, communication, science, nursing, education, and business, to consider the nature and results of cultural encounters between rural and urban in Westerville and Columbus, a microcosm for such encounters in national and global contexts. Students must be active participants in the class, committed to acting upon what they learn: they will have the opportunity to serve on-site with a local non-profit agency that helps to meet the needs of local people with Appalachian histories, and they have numerous chances to engage with readings, case studies, and problem-solving activities. They also have the opportunity to work toward earning a “card” in Community Engagement if they choose. Students study academic materials, read literature, investigate policies and agencies, practice ethnographic description, and work together to propose solutions to problems and issues they themselves discover and consider important within Appalachian communities. Students also reflect on their own cultural encounters and transitions as they study and observe the cultural encounters and transitions of others.

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SYE 4007 - Cultural Encounters: Appalachia in the City