Appalachia has a rich and complex environmental, social, and political history which impacts its present and will shape the future of the region. The Global Appalachia working group will bring together an interdisciplinary group of scholars whose work evaluates these pasts, presents, and futures of the region using a global and world-historical framework. In particular, the group’s focus is on bringing together scholars whose work addresses the impact extractive capitalism has had on the region’s environment, place-making, policy, and the movement of people both locally and globally. The working group also aims to explore other regions in the world that have developed in a similar trajectory as Appalachia. A comparative approach creates the opportunity to analyze similar regions that have experienced divestment as a result of exploitative industries and communities that have shown resistance to the forces of global extractive capitalism. Ultimately, a global and world-historical framework is necessary to understand the region’s political economy and ecology in order to conceptualize large problems faced by the people of the region like under performing schools, environmental degradation, and the opioid epidemic. In the spring of 2024, the working group was supported by the Provost's Year of Discourse and Dialogue.
Upcoming Events for 2024-2025 Academic Year
Spring 2025: Exploring Global Connections and Misconceptions in Appalachia and Beyond
The Global Appalachian Reading Group examines the complex intersections of regional identity, global influence, and environmental justice as they pertain to Appalachia and its connections to the wider world. During the Spring 2025 semester, the group will engage with What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia by Elizabeth Catte, Big Coal: Australia's Dirtiest Secret by Guy Pearse, and Lark Ascending by Silas House, and participants will challenge stereotypes about Appalachia, explore the global implications of coal industries, and reflect on the enduring human and environmental consequences of resource extraction and cultural resilience. This reading group invites participants to connect local narratives with global contexts, fostering deeper understanding and critical conversations about identity, sustainability, and the future of Appalachian communities.
All events will take place from 1:30-3:00pm (EST) in 4217 Posvar Hall. Please contact Veronica Dristas at dristas@pitt.edu for the books or with questions. Register here!
February 5, 2025: What You Are Getting Wrong about Appalachia by Elizabeth Catte
February 26, 2025: Big Coal: Australia's Dirtiest Habit by Guy Pearse, David McKnight, and Bob Burton
March 26, 2025: Lark Ascending by Silas House
Past Events
Fall 2024 : Race, Place and Migration in Appalachia
September 25, 2024: African American Workers and the Appalachian Coal Industry by Joe William Trotter
October 23, 2024: Hillbilly Highway: The Transappalachian Migration and the Making of a White Working Class by Max Fraser
November 13, 2024: After Coal: Stories of Survival from Appalachia and Wales by Tom Hansell
December 4, 2024: Out of the Mountains: Appalachia Stories by Meredith Sue Williams
Spring 2024: Global Appalachia Reading Group: Interdisciplinary Perspective on a Region in Motion
In the spring of 2024, the working group and the Global Studies Center will host a series of book discussions focusing on the region of Appalachia from a global perspective. The series theme of the series is "Interdisciplinary Perspectives on a Region in Motion." Participation in all three events in the series is not required but encouraged. All events will take place from 1:00-2:30. Sign up here!
January 31, 2024
Ramp Hollow: The Ordeal of Appalachia by Steven Stoll
In Ramp Hollow, Steven Stoll offers a fresh, provocative account of Appalachia, and why it matters. His investigation, ranging widely from history to literature, art, and economics, questions our assumptions about progress and development, and exposes the devastating legacy of dispossession and its repercussions today.
February 21, 2024
Soul Full of Coal Dust: A Fight for Breath and Justice in Appalachia by Chris Hamby
Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hamby uncovers the tragic resurgence of black lung disease in Appalachia, its Big Coal cover-up, and the resilient mining communities who refuse to back down.
March 20, 2024
Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place by Neema Avashia
Another Appalachia examines both the roots and the resonance of Avashia’s identity as a queer, desi, Appalachian woman, while encouraging readers to envision more complex versions of both Appalachia and the nation as a whole. Read online through Pitt ULS!
Working Group Conveners
Veronica Dristas, Global Studies Center
Nick Pitrone, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
Alexandra Straub, World History Center