Running Head: Rural Sociology Final Paper
Rural Sociology Final Paper :
SOCY: 391-004
Keturah Rachael Spencer
Virginia Commonwealth University
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Rural Sociology Final Paper
Part 1 – Powerlessness
Key points of Power and Powerlessness by John Gaventa include that quiescence is a tool
of the powerful used to maintain the status quo and rebellion is a symptom of change. (Gaventa,
1980) Relationships of power are better understood when the history of a particular area is
known as these relationships are complex. Gaventa also notes that, “Institutional practices have
often worked against the powerless to the benefit of the powerful.” (Gaventa, 1980, p. 4061)1
Power relationships supersede the ability of concepts such as democracy to be an economically
equalizing force. Therefore if equality and equity are virtues worth pursuing; than power
relationships are worth understanding.
Gaventa focused on the Appalachian region for two main reasons. They are not really
separate; it was both in combination with each other that led to this decision. In his own words:
I had read the theories of democracy, about how victims of injustice in an
'open system' are free to take action upon their concerns, about how
conflicts emerge and are resolved through compromises amongst
competing interests. Overlooking the Valley from the miner's porch, what
I saw seemed to question the lessons I had learned. Like many throughout
Central Appalachia, the Valley is rich in natural resources, especially coal,
yet its people remain poor: estimates here suggested that up to 70 per cent
of the families remained below the poverty line, while up to 30 per cent
were unemployed. Though the Valley is endowed with land abundant
(Gaventa, 1980, pp. 20-21)
He chose Appalachia, in short, because it had made him question what he had learned
about such things as democracy and injustice. It is a good thing for a person to study what
inspires them to learn. How could any place have a population where literally everyone is in
poverty? If there were any who did not live in poverty, it is a negligible percentage of the
population.
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The pagination of Kindle books does not always make any sense. This particular kindle book claims 4,288
pages. Although they are in order, there is no set pattern to how many pages one page represents.
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Rural Sociology Final Paper
Gaventa explains powerlessness as such:
In the first instance, the conceptions of the powerless may alter as an
adaptive response to continual defeat. If the victories of A over B in the
first dimension of power lead to non-challenge of B due to the anticipation
of the reactions of A, as in the second-dimensional case, then, over time,
the calculated withdrawal by B may lead to an unconscious pattern of
withdrawal, maintained not by fear of power of A but by a sense of
powerlessness within B, regardless of A's condition. A sense of
powerlessness may manifest itself as extensive fatalism, self-deprecation,
or undue apathy about one's situation. (Gaventa, 1980, pp. 383-392)2
In other words, Powerlessness is the lack of ability to control one’s environment. This
lack of ability may be from defeat, from fear of another, or from one’s identity. By the time
powerlessness has become an identity, a malaise has likely set in as a result of repeated defeats.
A person only has the options which they perceive before them. Therefore, it is prudent to not
underestimate the power of personal identity on the choices one makes. A person who views
themselves as powerless may be crippled by their own self-image.
To begin with, the American Association, Ltd; the company which started the coal
mining in this region, was not from this region. Furthermore, this was an unscrupulous company
with deplorable intensions. The mission of the American Association was of power for the
company, which did not include the local residents. On its list of purposes, Gaventa includes, “4)
to enter into any arrangements with any governments or authorities-supreme, municipal, local or
otherwise that may seem conducive to the company's objects…” (Gaventa, 1980, pp. 940-941)
He goes on to mention how the company took advantage of the ignorance of the local people by
underpaying them for the value of the land. There are also stories from the locals of people being
burned off of their property and deeds to land being forged. (Gaventa, 1980, pp. 952-963) This
process of brutalizing began with the mistreatment and deception involved in taking the land of
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This particular citation in Part I: Power and Participation.
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Rural Sociology Final Paper
the Appalachian People. They were defeated because of their own ignorance, with brute force,
deception, and corruption.
This robbed the Appalachian people of their ability to live independent lives. They no
longer had land to live off of, the company owned it. Without land of their own, the people
looked toward employment. As Gaventa notes in Chapter 4 “The Impact of Unionism: The Rise
and Quelling of Protest, 1923-1933,” “These men were dependent upon their jobs, and the threat
of losing them was the key to ensuring their acceptance of the conditions.” (Gaventa, 1980, p.
1495) Despite uprisings, the coal companies kept the economic and political power. This could
have been no less than disheartening to these people; who wanted so much to have control over
their personal circumstances.
The example he gives of Natural Capital is coal. In Chapter 2 “The Case of a Central
Appalachian Valley” Gaventa states “beneath the mountains lies enough coal to feed the national
energy demand for 200 years to come.” (Gaventa, 1980, p. 672) The people of this region are
very much the victims of theft. There is no good reason that its inhabitants should not have more
wealth. It is the result of unscrupulous greed.
Although this was published in 1982, I believe this view of powerlessness still applies
today. Issues such as the prison proposal of Bayview Virginia and the lack of enforced safety
regulation in the Appalachian coal mines and the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota highlight the
tendency of those in power to maintain their power by taking advantage of the others. All of
these are cases where people have either come to accept conditions which should be
unacceptable, or are expected to accept such conditions.
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Rural Sociology Final Paper
Part 2 – Social Change and Reflection
Rural Louisiana is a culturally distinct region of the United States. Many of the
inhabitants are descended from the French settlers who were there prior to the Louisiana
Purchase. Culturally, music is still valued as a matter of heritage. They have the Gulf of Mexico
filled with seafood as one of their primary sources of natural capital. The people of this region
are known for keeping social ties by having cookouts and sharing their musical traditions.
Although their natural, cultural and social capitals are intertwined and high, they are lacking in
both built and financial capital. The infrastructure in Louisiana is by and large old and neglected,
and the people are mostly working class.
Louisiana has experienced two major events in recent years which have had a significant
effect on the people of the region. The first event was Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the second
was the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Hurricane Katrina led to a
many residence moving and highlighted how their lack of political capital resulted in scarcity of
resources in during their time of need. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill led to an attempt to
control environmental damage done by the spill and settlement for those with economic and
medical claim related to the spill. The settlements can never truly make up for the damage done
to these people.
It would do well for the people of Louisiana to have more bridging social capital in
addition to the bonding that happens within their communities. There needs to be greater
regional responsibility for disaster preparedness, emphasis on educational institutions and built
capital generally. Educational institutions could help to cultivate a generation better prepared to
help their communities and promote social networking. There is no one solution. However,
education helps people to perceive more options and therefor increases the likelihood of
solutions being found.
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References
(2015). Retrieved December 08, 2015, from Deepwater Horizon Settlements:
http://www.deepwaterhorizonsettlements.com/
Flora, C. B., & Flora, J. L. (2013). Rural Communities: Legacy and Change. Boulder: Westview
Press.
Gaventa, J. (1980). Power and Powerlessness: quiescence and rebellion in an Appalachian
valley. Oxford: Claredon Press. Kindle Edition. Retrieved from retrived from
amazon.com
Gulf Oil Spill. (2015). Retrieved December 8, 2015, from Smithsonian Museum of Natural
History Web Site: http://ocean.si.edu/gulf-oil-spill