The Social Reality of a Group of Rural, Low-Status, Appalachian Women: A Grounded Theory Study Book

	Preface
Ch. 1	Conceptual Framework	3
	Statement of Problem	5
	The Social Construction of Reality	7
	Social Stratification	8
	Nominalist Perspective of Class/Status	9
	Appalachian Region	10
	Self-Concept	12
Ch. 2	Social Status and Family Patterns	15
	Social Status and Social Reality	15
	Life Patterns in Low-Status Groups	17
	Rural Life Patterns	20
	Poverty in Rural Appalachia	22
	Social Stratification in Appalachia	27
	Low-Status Appalachian Women	28
Ch. 3	Research Methods	31
	Study Site	32
	Selection of Participants	34
	Data Analysis	36
	Limitations of the Study	39
Ch. 4	Family Roles and Expectations	41
	Female Roles	42
	Male Roles	51
	Male-Female Relationships	54
	Role Failures	57
	Socialization to World Outside of Family	58
Ch. 5	Social Relationships	61
	Awareness of Social Status	61
	Interactional Expectations	64
	Dealing with Feeling Put-Down	69
Ch. 6	Feelings About Self	73
	Self-Esteem and Family Role Performance	74
	Negative Feelings About Self	76
	Endurance and the Little Things in Life	78
Ch. 7	Summary and Implications	83
	Appendix	89
	References	91
	Index	101