In Eastern KY, coal and timber is a way of life. However, industry does play an important role in certain communities. People in this region tend to be less educated and extremely Protestant, usually Baptist. The political culture is extremely traditionalist with many families voting along similar lines as their forefathers did. Depending on which region of the mountains, northern or southern, the region is strongly Democrat and Religious Republican respectively. Some mountain people believe that their region "is the only region of the country with a real culture. It came to us from the British Isles-the music, the dances, the humor, the writers-but now it's our, and… we'll keep it." (Neal Peirce, The Border South States. New York: W.W. Norton and Co. Inc., 1975, 277.)
Until recently, tobacco and horse farming dominated the non-urban areas of Kentucky, despite several industries moving into Western and Central Kentucky. These areas may still be dominated by tobacco and horse farms; however, the financial impact of tobacco has drastically fallen. Traditionally, these areas are financially better off than the mountain peoples and fairly better educated. The political culture remains rather traditionalist with the Protestant religions influencing political culture; the areas were strong Democrat; however, recently the area generally votes Republican .
This shift generally comes from reaction to policies by the U.S. government. The largest backlash comes from one area: agriculture. The Department of Agriculture has attracted migrant workers to come to Kentucky. The tobacco farmers seriously dislike the government for the attack on tobacco without giving them another option for survival. Still, the owners use the cheap labor attempting to maintain some economic power. Those who compete with the migrant workers for employment do not like the workers or the government. Furthermore, this new wave has brought on new government and cultural issues to the forefront. The government and social institutions were not ready for a significant movement of non-English speakers. Culturally, many Kentuckians dislike the migrant workers because they secure the cheaper paying jobs, many do not speak English, a few are not even citizens, and occasionally differences in sexual expression flare. By this, I mean, some migrant workers have cat-called ladies walking down the small town streets. Even if no offenses were meant by these acts, the quickest way to get into a fight in Kentucky is to upset a woman. I gravely predict that unless measures will be taken by both groups to promote better understanding and acceptance, Kentucky, especially in the high agriculture areas, will erupt as a hotbed for racial crimes in the next 20 years.
In the urban areas-- Louisville, Lexington, and the Covington-Newport area, for examples--not surprisingly, one finds many more opportunities, wealth, and individualist political outlooks. Currently, the Covington-Newport area is the fastest growing area east of the Mississippi. Catholics constitute a prominent place in these areas along with the Protestants. Although religion still plays a minor role in politics, pragmatism drives the political tradition; here the areas were mostly Democratic but today due to the agricultural backlash there is no party lock.
When not complaining about the migrant workers, people of the mountain and rural cultures look down on the urban culture just as much as the urban peoples snub the other two. All around the Commonwealth, there is a common joke about Louisville either being the 51st state or leaving Kentucky to join Indiana. Also, people have a particular view of the northern portion of Kentucky right next to Cincinnati, OH; many "view that area with some embarrassment-as a sort of sinful place where people talk different." (Peirce; 245.)
Back to Kentucky page
Back to Home page
