Hillbilly Talkback: Co-Creation and Counter-Narrative in Appalachia
The Appalachian region has been systematically stereotyped in popular media representations for over a century, contributing to many of the structural, economic, and psychological challenges faced by those who live there. In order to solve this issue, it is necessary to produce compelling counter-re...
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| Format: | Thesis |
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2022
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139417 |
| _version_ | 1826216778027499520 |
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| author | Justice, Elon B. |
| author2 | Bald, Vivek |
| author_facet | Bald, Vivek Justice, Elon B. |
| author_sort | Justice, Elon B. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | The Appalachian region has been systematically stereotyped in popular media representations for over a century, contributing to many of the structural, economic, and psychological challenges faced by those who live there. In order to solve this issue, it is necessary to produce compelling counter-representations which undermine the dominant regime of representation around Appalachia.
In this thesis, I explore some of the most common image types used to represent Appalachia in popular media and assess the potential of co-creative documentary practices to create representations which challenge these harmful images. I begin with an explanation of the importance of representation, drawing from the work of Stuart Hall in cultural studies, and an introduction to co-creative methodologies in media production. Next, I recount the history of four tropes commonly used to represent Appalachia in popular media. Finally, I examine two co-creative documentaries set in the Appalachian region – Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s Hollow and my own The Appalachian Retelling Project – to assess these projects’ approaches to co-creation and the counter-narratives that emerge from them. Ultimately, I argue that co-creation is an effective methodology for producing compelling counter-representations of Appalachia and for other groups like it who have been systematically misrepresented. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:52:57Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | mit-1721.1/139417 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:52:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1394172022-08-09T20:07:13Z Hillbilly Talkback: Co-Creation and Counter-Narrative in Appalachia Justice, Elon B. Bald, Vivek Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Program in Comparative Media Studies/Writing The Appalachian region has been systematically stereotyped in popular media representations for over a century, contributing to many of the structural, economic, and psychological challenges faced by those who live there. In order to solve this issue, it is necessary to produce compelling counter-representations which undermine the dominant regime of representation around Appalachia. In this thesis, I explore some of the most common image types used to represent Appalachia in popular media and assess the potential of co-creative documentary practices to create representations which challenge these harmful images. I begin with an explanation of the importance of representation, drawing from the work of Stuart Hall in cultural studies, and an introduction to co-creative methodologies in media production. Next, I recount the history of four tropes commonly used to represent Appalachia in popular media. Finally, I examine two co-creative documentaries set in the Appalachian region – Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s Hollow and my own The Appalachian Retelling Project – to assess these projects’ approaches to co-creation and the counter-narratives that emerge from them. Ultimately, I argue that co-creation is an effective methodology for producing compelling counter-representations of Appalachia and for other groups like it who have been systematically misrepresented. S.M. 2022-01-14T15:10:16Z 2022-01-14T15:10:16Z 2021-06 2021-06-03T20:49:54.951Z Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139417 In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Copyright retained by author(s) https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/ application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| spellingShingle | Justice, Elon B. Hillbilly Talkback: Co-Creation and Counter-Narrative in Appalachia |
| title | Hillbilly Talkback: Co-Creation and Counter-Narrative in Appalachia |
| title_full | Hillbilly Talkback: Co-Creation and Counter-Narrative in Appalachia |
| title_fullStr | Hillbilly Talkback: Co-Creation and Counter-Narrative in Appalachia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hillbilly Talkback: Co-Creation and Counter-Narrative in Appalachia |
| title_short | Hillbilly Talkback: Co-Creation and Counter-Narrative in Appalachia |
| title_sort | hillbilly talkback co creation and counter narrative in appalachia |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/139417 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT justiceelonb hillbillytalkbackcocreationandcounternarrativeinappalachia |