Determinants of Appalachian Identity: Using Vernacular Traces to Study Cultural Geographies of an American Region

Abstract

This article uses data on two vernacular traces, toponyms and business names, to explore and analyze cultural geographies of the U.S. Appalachian region. First, cluster detection is applied to a set of generic place names (toponyms) that are found to be components of a relatively unique Appalachian geographic vernacular. The results from this exercise are then mapped onto common spatial representations of the Appalachian region, where they are combined with a selected marker of perceived regional identity—businesses that have the character string “Appalachia” in their name—to construct a study area for subsequent analysis. Finally, data are collected for places inside of the derived study area to examine determinants of Appalachian identity in a zero-inflated count regression model. The findings convey important insights about specific heritage and environmental variables that correlate with, and likely contribute to the production of, patterns of Appalachian identity in the United States. In addition, the conceptual model and methodology of the article are claimed to be transferrable to other studies of cultural regions, heritage, and identity, both inside and outside of Appalachia.