This book was not as societally insightful as I hoped. But it was an easy and entertaining read. Vance chronicles his upbringing as a hillbilly, in Kentucky and Ohio. He details the hillbilly culture, its faults and its problems. Thankfully for him, he grew up with the support of his Mamaw and Papaw, whose love prevented a life of poverty. With their help, Vance went to the Marines and later graduated from Ohio State and Yale Law. He now has a stable family and nice job, unlike many of the poor hillbillies of Appalachia.
Vance concludes that poor people need to help themselves and need to create an environment that gives them opportunities for advancement. Young hillbillies need to see positive examples of what's possible in life; otherwise, the endless cycles of violence, drugs, familial strife, and bad decisions that plague poor people will derail any chances they have. Government programs can't fix all the problems of poor people, Vance argues.
He also suggests that poor people are often segregated from middle and upper class people. Section 8 vouchers, for example, are a way this happens. Poor, working class people, should instead mix with more affluent people to give them examples of other lifestyles.
Interestingly, he says that working class boys often perform poorly in school because good grades are associated with femininity. Also, part of the problem for hillbillies is that they feel their decisions have no real impact on their lives. Instead of believing that they can improve their lives, they blame others for their misfortune and think that forces beyond their control are the reasons behind their poverty, lack of a job, etc.
1 comment:
A rather conservative take on the subject it seems, and that's okay. Good summary.
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