Semester
Fall
Date of Graduation
2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MA
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Geology and Geography
Committee Chair
Maria Perez
Committee Co-Chair
Daniel Renfrew
Committee Member
Daniel Renfrew
Committee Member
Bradley Wilson
Abstract
With the 2016 Presidential election come and gone, political activism within the United States has garnered more attention as political actors on the Progressive Left oppose the actions of the new administration. The West Virginia progressive movement is used as a case study of the national push towards progressive politics. Using participant diaries and a series of longitudinal interviews, this thesis explores the creation of spaces belonging within an activist organization to foster sustained involvement. The analysis points to the importance of creating a sense of belonging and the desire to ‘strive for better’ in a state that is often perceived as left behind by the rest of the country. Battling an opioid epidemic, city-level fights for equal rights, attacks on the most impoverished, and constant push-back from the very people they are fighting for have taken its toll emotionally and morally on the activists. At the same time, the creation of constant contestation has created a space for belonging and friendship that otherwise may not have existed. This thesis also aims to contribute the broader conversation of what constitutes progressivism and how activist organizations use the term’s ambiguity in their strategizing.
Recommended Citation
Jennette, Roger A., "Creating Space for Belonging within the West Virginia Progressive Movement" (2018). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 3742.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/3742