maybe a bit too sterile

An individually-designed major within interdisciplinary studies has enabled me to research issues inherent to my understanding of contemporary Appalachian labor by allowing me to transcend the traditional departmental structure of coursework offered here at Appalachian State University and draw from various disciplines in order to construct a multi-faceted, well-rounded curriculum.
Initially interested in Appalachian Studies, I was introduced to the historical and cultural framework of the region while gaining a sense of the region’s political structure. Especially significant during this phase of my academic career was a coinciding Latin American Studies course which enabled me to research issues regarding the local Hispanic community here in Appalachia. Finding their roles in labor within the local Christmas tree farming and poultry industries to be unjustly compensated, I began shifting my research elsewhere towards labor injustices.
Taking my studies from the Interdisciplinary to the Anthropology department, I was then able to research in depth the coal mining industry here in Appalachia and its role in perpetuating local labor inequality and environmental injustice. Taking trips into the heart of West Virginia to see first-hand the environmental destruction being caused by the industry’s malpractices and to speak one-on-one with the local people were actions which undoubtedly motivated and inspired me to further my research into labor law.
Whereas my initial interest in Appalachian Studies introduced me to the historical context in which various extractive industries found it profitable to settle in Appalachia, I was able to then cross the disciplinary boundaries in order to research through the Business Management department exactly how these industries concluded that this region and its people were a profitable resource to utilize and continue to be today. Research in the Business department has served to be an integral part of my understanding of these labor issues by allowing me to views these issues from the industry’s perspective. Not only contributing to a greater vocabulary and ability to comprehend the industry’s data, I feel that research from an alternative perspective is a vital part of the comprehension of any issue, for in “knowing thine enemy” one can understand how they substantiate their actions. Another coinciding course which contributed to this understanding of corporate America was a seminar offered regarding Marx and his work Capital, which served to provide me with a clearer understanding of labor and its role in capitalism.
Now able to engage in an independent study, advised by the same professor who took me up to West Virginia, I will devote this semester to furthering my research regarding contemporary Appalachian labor injustices while defining in sociological terms how I feel these actions to be criminal. Able to then write a thesis regarding my chosen course of study, I plan to engage in research concerning a more focused, isolated issue among Whitesville, WV pertaining to the proximity of a toxic, coal residue silo to the town's local elementary school and the legal ramifications of the industry's practices with regards to the state's environmental and industrial laws and regulations.