POL/APP 373: Politics of Appalachian Development Fall 2014 Eastern Kentucky University Department of Government Course Information: CRN, 13369; lecture; 3 credit hours Hybrid course (70% online and 30% in class) Class meets four times a semester on Tuesday at 6:00 to 8:45 in Moore 103 Instructor: Dr. Will Hatcher Office: McCreary 213 (Please note that McCreary is not handicap accessible. Students can schedule an appointment with me in the library or another handicap accessible building on campus) Office Hours: On Mondays and Wednesdays, I will be available via Skype (professor.hatcher) from 1:00 to 4:00 for online office hours. If students are not able to meet during those times, they should e-mail me for alternative arrangements. E-mail: [email protected] (I will responded within 48 hours.) Office Phone: 859 – 622 – 4388 (Department 859 – 622 – 5931) Discussion Board Forums: Students can also pose questions/comments to the instructor and their entire class on the appropriate discussion board forums. Tyler Justice is a graduate student in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. He will be working with us this semester. Course Description “My whole thesis is that you can’t understand America until you understand Appalachia.” --Jeff Biggers This course explores the politics of development in Appalachia—one of the most economically distressed regions in the nation. Throughout the semester, students will learn about development in Appalachia by critically analyzing the region’s economic, social, and political opportunities and challenges. Special attention will be placed on the role of government and nonprofit institutions in developing Appalachia. Hybrid Format This course is taught mostly online, through video and PowerPoint slides, directed readings, and assignments. For each week, students will have to complete a module on a topic of development in Appalachia. The weeks start on Monday and run to Sunday. The weekly modules will contain a collection of readings and assignments. An overview of the course modules can be viewed in the table at the end of this syllabus and on the course’s Blackboard site. We will meet four times throughout the semester to hold a seminar discussion on the material being covered in the course. The course will meet at 6:00 in Moore 103 on the following dates: August 19, September 23, October 21, and December 2. 1

The assignments should be well-written and properly formatted with one-inch margins on all sides, double-spaced paragraphs, and 12 point Times New Roman font. Throughout the semester, students will be provided PowerPoint slides of the material. A few of these slides will include short lectures with narration on the key topics. These lectures will usually range in time from 10 minutes to 20 minutes. To take the course, students must regularly check their e-mail and be able to use Blackboard. Students should also be familiar with Microsoft Word in order to complete the course’s assignments. Students will also have to use the library and other research resources to complete the course’s assignments. Political Science Learning Outcomes POL 373 is a political science course that seeks to achieve the following outcomes for the undergraduate major: • Civic engagement: Students will participate in political and civic engagement activities. • Critical Thinking, Methodology, and Communication: Students will become more discerning critical thinkers and observers of political events, messages and processes by applying theories and methodologies of political science through effective oral and written communication. • Substantive Knowledge: Students will understand the institutions, processes and values that underpin political behavior and events. • Diversity: Students will demonstrate awareness of diversity considerations including the potential impact that diversity can produce in political systems and the possibility of marginalization of various societal groups. Specific Learning Outcomes for the Course By the end of this course, students should be able to: • Discuss the economic, social, and political evolution of the Appalachia region; • Describe and evaluate the basic approaches to community development; • Evaluate Appalachia’s economic, social, and political challenges; • Apply the assets-building model of community development to Appalachia; and • Evaluate possible reforms for development in the region. Course Requirements and Grades Midterm and final exams Discussion board participation Community development project Total

40% 40% 20% 100%

A= 90 - 100; B= 80 – 89; C= 70 - 79; D= 60 – 69; and F= 0 – 59 Prior to mid-semester, you will receive feedback on your performance in this course.

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Texts and Other Readings 1. Obermiller, Philip J. and Michael E. Maloney. (Eds.). (2007). Appalachia: Social Context Past and Present. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing. ISBN: 978-07575-3905-3. Referred to in the course outline as “Appalachia.” 2. Eller, Ronald D. (2008). Uneven Ground: Appalachia Since 1945. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN: 978-0-8131-2523-7. Referred to in the course outline as “Uneven Ground.” 3. Throughout the semester, students are encouraged to read a newspaper from a community within the Appalachian region. Students will need to also keep up with news in other parts of Appalachia. The Daily Yonder, a website dedicated to rural issues, can help students keep up with current events in rural America. The site can be found at: www.dailyyonder.com. 4. Students will read selected articles from the Journal of Appalachian Studies. This journal is available in the electronic databases provided by EKU’s library. Students will be required to retrieve these articles from the library’s website. This journal is an excellent resource for students seeking to learn more about Appalachia. 5. Other readings are made available by the instructor via hyperlinks on the course syllabus or on the course’s Blackboard page. *This course is more reading intensive than many other 300 level courses. This is necessary for students to understand development in Appalachia and participate in the course’s seminar-style discussions. Don’t worry too much; students will find most of the reading enjoyable. Course Assignments • Exams: The exams will consist of essay questions covering the material addressed in the readings, the narrated lectures, and the in-class lectures/discussions. Students will complete the exams through Blackboard. • Community Development Project: Students will select a community in Appalachia. They will construct a development plan for this community, identifying its political, social, and economic challenges along with solutions to these problems. The plan will focus on how the community can use its assets to improve its socioeconomic and political conditions. The plan must also be a realistic one, taking into account the political realities of the selected community. Students will prepare a paper reporting their community development plan. Students will turn this paper in by sections throughout the semester. Detailed guidelines for this project can be found on Blackboard. • Discussion board participation: Students will be expected to participate often in class discussion. Since the course is completely online, the discussions will be conducted through the discussion board tool in Blackboard. Throughout the course, the instructor will pose discussion questions about the week’s material. For each discussion question, students will have to provide at least one response and respond to at least two comments made by their classmates. The initial responses need to answer the question in a comprehensive manner with at least 100 words, but not more than 400 words. Students should include at least two references to the week’s readings or from outside material related to the discussion board question. The initial responses will be due by Thursday at 11:59 on the week’s that there are discussion board questions. This is a date earlier in the 3

week than most other assignments, but is necessary for students to be able to comment on the posts of their classmates. The two comments on the posts of classmates will have to be completed by Sunday at 11:59 on those weeks. Detailed guidelines are available on Blackboard. Attendance Policy Attendance will be taken at each of the four class meetings. Given that this class only meets four times a semester, it is imperative that you attend each meeting, unless you have an extraordinary excuse. If you miss more than one of the course meetings, a letter grade will be deducted from your final grade for each meeting that is missed. Sensitive Material Students should be award that this course contains graphic material depicting explicit violence. Students who feel uncomfortable about reading and discussing these topics in class should contact the instructor for more information. E.K.U. Statement on Disabilities A student with a “disability” may be an individual with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as learning, seeing or hearing. Additionally, pregnancy or a related medical condition that causes a similar substantial limitation may also be considered a disability under the ADA. If you are registered with the Office of Services for Individuals with Disabilities, please obtain your accommodation letters from the OSID and present them to the course instructor to discuss any academic accommodations you need. If you believe you need accommodation and are not registered with the OSID, please contact the office in the Whitlock Building Room 361 by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (859) 622-2933. Upon individual request, this syllabus can be made available in an alternative format. Academic Integrity and Honesty Students are advised that EKU's Academic Integrity Policy will strictly be enforced in this course. Plagiarism, or presenting another’s work or ideas as one’s own, is a form of stealing. If a student plagiarizes on a course assignment, the student will receive either a zero on the assignment or an F in the course. The instructor reserves the right to determine the sanction based on the nature of the violation. All alleged violations must be reported to EKU’s Office of Students’ Rights and Responsibilities. Same penalties apply to cheating on exams, lying to the instructor, and violating all other areas of the university’s academic integrity policies. For more information, I encourage you to read your rights and responsibilities: http://studentrights.eku.edu/academic-integrity. Email Communication: Email is the official communication of EKU, and given that this is mostly an online course, it is the official form of interaction between the instructor and students. I will respond to your email within 48 hours of when you sent it. If I have not responded within this time, please email me again. 4

Citation: In this course, students are required to use APA citation style. If you have any questions about this citation format, please consult the library or the instructor. IMPORTANT DATES (You should be aware that the exam dates are tentative and subject to change): August 18 1st day of classes September 1 Labor Day September 19 Assurance of Learning Day September 30 Midterm Exam October 12 Midterm grades due October 13-14 Fall break November 7 Last day to withdraw from the University November 25 – December 1 Thanksgiving holidays December 6 Last day of classes December 9 Final exam POL 373 Course Outline (hyperlinks to articles are included in the readings column) Week 1

Class Meetings Class meets on Tuesday August 19 at 6:00 in Moore 103

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Topics

Readings & Assignments

What is Appalachia?

Appalachia, numbers 1, 2, 3, & 12 The persistent problem of poverty in rural counties throughout the South. Discussion board participation

A History of Appalachia and its Culture

Appalachia, numbers 8, 11, & 13 Uneven Ground, pages 1 - 53 Fallows, James. (2010). Dirty Coal, Clean Future. The Atlantic. Discussion board participation

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The Basics of Community Development with a Focus on Rural Development

Green, Gary Paul and Anna Haines. (2011). The Role of Assets in CommunityBased Development in Assets Building & Community Development (provided by instructor) More Communities Should Focus on Their Assets and Not Their Needs, PA Times Online. Discussion board participation

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Appalachia Today

Appalachia, numbers 4, 6, 9, 10, 14, & 16 Estep, Bill. (2012). Coal Industry Sheds Jobs, Leaving Eastern Kentucky’s Economy in Tatters. Lexington Herald-Leader Introduction to your community due this week

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The Politics of Appalachian Development: An Overview of Programs

Appalachia, number 19 Uneven Ground, pages 53 – 90 “About ARC” Isserman, Andrew and Terance Rephann. (1995). “Effects of the Appalachian Regional Commission.” Journal of the American Planning Association. 61, 3. “Economic Redevelopment in Appalachia” Discussion board participation

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Class meets

The Politics of Appalachian

Appalachia, numbers 30, 31, & 32

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on September 23 in Moore 103 7

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Development: Failures of Policy

Discussion board participation

The Politics of Appalachian Development: A Roadmap for Reforms

Uneven Ground, 9 – 129

Financial and Infrastructure Capital

Read chapter 2, “Water and Wastewater Services in Appalachia,”

Midterm exam due

Read about the Appalachian Development Highway System. Read chapters 3, 4, and 5 (pages 11 – 44) in the following report about information technology in Appalachia: http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED467710.pdf Flora, Cornelia Butler and Jan L. Flora. (2008). “Built Capital” in Rural Communities. Pages 205 - 241. (Provided by the instructor) Whitcare, Brian, Roberto Gallardo, and Sharon Strover. (2012). Broadband Availability: Geography Matters. Daily Yonder. Discussion board 9

Human Capital: Health Care

Appalachia, number 20 Behringer, Bruce and Gilbert H. Friedell. (2006). Appalachia: Where Place Matters in Health. Preventing Chronic Disease. 3, 4. Fall Break! Discussion board

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Class meets on October 21 in Moore 103

Human Capital: Education

Appalachia, number 18 Explore the ARC’s education-related programs. See: http://www.arc.gov/education Hand, Christie and Emily Miller Payne. (2008). First-Generation College Students: A Study of Appalachian Student Success. Journal of Developmental Education. 32, 1: 4 – 15. Asset analysis/mapping of your community due this week

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Natural Capital

Appalachia, number 22 Barry, Dan. (2011). As the Mountaintops Fall, a Coal Town Vanishes. New York Times. April 12. Burns, Shirley L. Stewart. (2005). “You Scratch Mine, and I’ll Scratch Yours: The Political Economy of Coal in Southern West Virginia.” in Bringing Down the Mountains: The Impact of Mountaintop Removal Surface Coal Mining on Southern West Virginia Communities, 1970 – 2004. Unpublished dissertation. pp. 101 – 149. Discussion board participation

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Cultural Capital

Appalachia, numbers 15, 27, & 28 “Assets-Building in a Small Appalachian Town” PA Times Online. Lewis, Ronald L. and Dwight B. Billings. Appalachian Culture and Economic Development. Discussion board participation

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Crime in Appalachia

Gladwell, Malcolm. (2010). “Harlan, Kentucky: Die Like a Man, Like Your Brother Did.” in Outliers. Pages 161 – 177. (Provided by instructor) Spatial Analysis of Crime in Appalachia. Yanarella, Ernest J. and Susan Blankenship. (2006). Big House on the Rural Landscape: Prison Recruitment as a Policy Tool of Local Economic Development.

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Journal of Appalachian Studies. 12, 2: 110 – 139. Discussion board participation 14

Social Capital

Putnam, Robert. (1995). Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital. Journal of Democracy. 65 – 78. (Provided by the instructor) Flora, Cornelia Butler and Jan L. Flora. (2008). “Social Capital and Community” in Rural Communities. Pages 205 - 241. (Provided by the instructor)

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Reforms and Solutions

Uneven Ground, pages 129 – 177 Uneven Ground, “Growth and Development,” Thanksgiving Break, November 25 – December 1 Complete community development projects due by the end this week

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Class meets on December 2 in Moore 103

Reforms and Solutions

Appalachia, numbers 33 – 37 Uneven Ground, “The New Appalachia,”

* Final exam due by December 9 at 11:59 p.m. NOTE: Clearly, this syllabus is a general guideline and can be altered or changed during the course. You should understand that the dates on the above schedules, both for exercises and tests, are tentative and may change –within a narrow range.

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