Appalachian women learning in community

This study examines how women active in two Appalachian community organizations define the impact of their experiences on their lives and learning. The data collection involved participant observation in two grassroots community organizations in southwest Virginia, extended life history interviews with seven women active in these organizations, and a group interview with the women from each organization to review my preliminary findings. The community organizations in this study are grassroots groups whose members operate community centers and try through various projects to meet the needs of people in their communities. They are democratically run with small part-time staffs. Most work is done by volunteers from the community including the seven women I interviewed. Each woman told her life story in response to similar questions, but each structured her story in her own way. While each woman had her own story they also shared many themes. They talked about their families, about the hard times and the shared support. All seven women have taken part in formal education as adults, either in GED classes or community college, but for only two did this schooling seem to have much impact beyond acquiring particular skills. Rather it was their experiences in their community organizations that they identified as sources of learning and change in themselves. They described personal changes from their community involvement which included new confidence, a new ability to speak out, and new educational and employment goals. The centers offered a supportive environment that encouraged growth and change. This study has implications for practice and research in fields of study and areas of work concerned with learning and social change. The factors that facilitated learning for the women in this study might be adopted in many adult education programs. Programs that support women in making changes in their lives can learn from the kind of environment which these women have created~a supportive group of women working together to make positive changes in their communities. Additional work to build the understanding and development of educational processes that support social change on the grassroots community level is needed. And as we confront the effects of global economic restructuring in our communities, we can learn from the experiences of these women who have developed ways of doing useful work beyond narrow definitions of "job."