Small town in the global economy : a case study of development and resistance in a Southern Appalachian industrial center

This project provides an critical interdisciplinary case history of development in Hamblen County, Tennessee from settlement to the present. Hamblen County represents a successful rural industrial center in the Tennessee Valley. The main goal is to understand how the global economy, the state, local elites, and community resistance combined to shape development and growth over this time period. The time periods covered coincide with phases of the global economy. Few studies of Appalachian communities look at the link between local development in the context of the changing global economic system. As such, this project offers a micro and macro approach to local development. This project also documents the long term role of the state and regional agencies in local development Understanding local development requires documenting the role of the local political and economic elite in Hamblen County. Finally I look at local resistance to development and development policies in Hamblen County. As an exploratory study, this project offers a beginning point for comprehending the complex factors involved in development and how local people respond to micro and macro level social and economic change.