Carol Mason is an interdisciplinary scholar focusing on twentieth-century American literature and society. Her scholarly interest in critiquing right-wing movements complements a background in activism and nonprofit development. Prior to being the Spring 2002 Rockefeller Scholar-in-Residence at CSEGA, Dr. Mason earned her Ph.D. in English from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Mason's first book, Killing for Life: The Apocalyptic Narrative of Pro-Life Politics is available from Cornell University Press. Currently, Dr. Mason is working on her second book, Righting Fiction: Revolutionary Conservative Novels since 1974 and is the Visiting Assistant Professor of Women's Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.
To contact Dr. Mason with comments on their research or to obtain copyright permission, please email her at:
masonc@pitt.edu
The 1974 textbook controversy in Kanawha County, West Virginia, (re)produced white Appalachian ethnicity for the post-civil rights era. This reproduction of Appalachian ethnicity was not necessarily an intended consequence of the thousands of protesters who opposed the adoption of a new "language arts" curriculum for secondary education. Nor was it the motivating cause. Looking back on the conflict from the distance of nearly thirty years, from the intellectual perspective of a Ph.D. in English language and literatures, and as a former student enrolled in the Kanawha County school system at the time, I see that the very definition of "the (Appalachian) people" was being re-made, despite intentions or motivations. It was being reproduced textually and politically according to shifting norms of race relations, gender roles, sexual mores, and class stratification. This project, which combines oral history, critical studies of ethnicity, and feminist analysis of primary resources, is an attempt to share my unique perspective on the conflict.
Textual Reproduction of Ethnicity in the Kanawha Valley: The 1974 Textbook Controversy Revisited
View the document in PDF format.
Dr. Mason will present her research in the Drinko Library Auditorium on
Friday, March 7th from 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. in the Drinko Library Auditorium.
This presentation will be broadcast live over the internet.
Watch Recorded Presentation
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REAL-MEDIA Format
Dr. Mason will be available for an online chat on Friday, March 7th from 11:00 am - noon
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A discussion list has been provided to accomodate discussion about Dr. Mason's presentation and research.
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