Appalachian Studies
Minor
Warren Wilson sits above the fertile bottomlands of the Swannanoa River. The land is beautiful, with a rich and diverse ecology, and it has been inhabited for thousands of years. The Appalachian Studies minor draws upon the landscape and surrounding communities to help students gain a deeper understanding of the region’s history, culture, and environmental challenges while equipping students with critical thinking, research, and storytelling skills. With Appalachia at the center of key social and environmental issues, this minor prepares students to engage meaningfully in the region’s future through policy, activism, and creative expression.
Exploring the deep roots of this region requires broad knowledge and diverse skills—our Appalachian Studies minor weaves together multiple academic disciplines to give you a richer, more connected perspective. Whether you’re a biochemist analyzing stream pollutants and their ties to industrial development, an archaeologist uncovering the Mississippian culture that once thrived where our farm now stands, or a pre-med student studying the impact of healthcare access in rural communities, this minor bridges your passions with real-world challenges, grounding your studies in the landscape, history, and people of Appalachia.
Why Appalachian Studies at Warren Wilson?
- Location: Draw upon the landscape and surrounding communities to connect the threads of history, economics, culture, and ecology from a key part of the Appalachian Mountains.
- Unique Opportunities: You’ll have several opportunities to participate in expeditionary learning and service projects within communities around the region.
- Skill-sharing: Warren Wilson is full of traditional Appalachian craft and music activities. Whether it’s dying fabrics from a natural dye garden, picking a banjo at our weekly old time jam, or contra dancing at the Old Farmer’s Ball that happens every Thursday, you’ll have ample opportunity to connect with cultural traditions and hone relevant skills.
See how Appalachian Studies students put our education into action
Work
You can work on any crew as a student but many Appalachian Studies students choose to be on crews such as:
- Library Archives
- Fiber Arts
- Fine Woodworking
- Music
- Garden
- Blacksmithing
Popular Courses
Politics of Identity in the Appalachian Mountains
We will analyze many of the ways people understand “Appalachian exceptionalism” by discussing the importance of place to identity formation, scrutinizing popular representations of mountaineers, examining the role of identity in the politics of regional development, and studying the sociological and historical roots for Appalachia’s image as “the other America.”
Documenting Appalachia
Explore films and documentaries about the southern mountains. You will also read books, articles, and historical documents related to filmmaking in the mountains. In addition, you’ll go on a weekend-long field trip to Whitesburg, Kentucky, where you’ll participate in a service project. Finally, you’ll work with a small group to conceptualize, design, storyboard, and film your own documentary about some element of Appalachia.
Traditions of Work & Music in the Southern Mountains
What’s a gandy dancer? Which side are you on? And why did Gastonia Gallop? Such questions beg an examination of the ways work and music are bound together in modern Appalachian culture, and this course examines those connections while investigating intersections of musical and social history in this region. You’ll focus on three main themes: work music, music about work, and music as work.
Jeffrey A. Keith, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Cultural History
- Appalachian Studies
- US Foreign Relations
“I believe curiosity is the seed of hope. I approach education as a way to cultivate my students’ curiosities about the world and how they can engage with it.”
Kevin Kehrberg, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Vernacular music in America, particularly sacred music
- Intersections of music, race, and ethnicity. See “Somebody Died, Babe.“
- Gamelan music of Indonesia
“As a professor, I love that Warren Wilson students are unafraid to take risks, to challenge themselves, and to engage a topic or a work of art despite whether it aligns with their opinions or preferences.”
Natalya Weinstein Miller, MA
Research Interests
- The diverse roots of bluegrass fiddling
- Instrumental klezmer music in America
- Regional WNC old-time fiddlers and repertoire
“I love how music constantly fills the air at Warren Wilson College, whether it’s a songwriting class in the amphitheater, a marimba outside of the percussion studio, the full voices of the choir down at the pavilion, or the rhythms of the West African Drum ensemble.”