Description
Much has been written through the years about life in the coal mines of Appalachia. Not surprisingly, attention has focused basically at the experiences of male miners. In Daughters of the Mountain, Suzanne Tallichet introduces us to a cohort of women miners at a big underground coal mine in southern West Virginia, where women entered the group of workers in the late 1970s after mining jobs started opening up for women all through the Appalachian coalfields.
Tallichet’s work goes beyond anecdotal evidence to offer complex and penetrating analyses of qualitative data. In line with in-depth interviews with female miners, Tallichet explores several key topics, including social relations among women and men, professional advancement, and union participation. She also explores the ways in which women adapt to mining culture, developing strategies for both resistance and accommodation to an overwhelmingly male-dominated world.