Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1993

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Anthropology

Major Professor

Benita J. Howell

Committee Members

Judy Fiene, Faye V. Harrison

Abstract

In her 1922 Master's thesis, Sue Remaley uncovered a neighborhood type in Knoxville, Tennessee that contrasts with prevailing perceptions of urban poverty. The urban poor are often described as having high numbers of female headed families, high crime and unemployment rates, and are often portrayed as black or Hispanic. Remaley discovered that many poor neighborhoods in Knoxville are composed of two-parent families, have high employment rates, live in homes they own, and are predominantly white.

This thesis focuses on one such neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee that exhibits a strong sense of community and stability. Specifically, this research focuses on the women of this urban Appalachian neighborhood, and how their roles in the church and community foster the stability found in the neighborhood. In order to examine religiosity among the women of this neighborhood, an ethnographic approach was taken. This included structured interviews, informal interviews, and participant observation. A general questionnaire was constructed to locate church participants and to gather information on community attitudes. A group of twenty women were then selected for an additional interview based on church involvement. These women were observed in the church environment to determine what roles women have in the church. Support networks among church-going women were evaluated to determine if friendships among these women are based almost exclusively on similar religious beliefs and behaviors.

Through participant observation and informal interviews it became evident that the women of this neighborhood play an important role in the maintenance of the church. Although women cannot hold cleric positions of authority, they do play important decision making roles in the missionary and social outreach work of the church in the community.

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