ABSTRACT
An especially problematic representation of rural life in central Appalachia is shown in the book and movie of the same name, Hillbilly Elegy. Rural places as they are shown in the media are mostly imaginary in the sense that they are created with a particular message in mind. This chapter gives the readers a frame for understanding individual rural communities and for making some connections across rural places. Any rural community is made up of a combination of geographic, economic, and social characteristics. A complete understanding of any one rural community is possible only with full consideration of each characteristic as well as the interplay among the three. The social makeup of rural places is an especially slippery idea and one that cannot be separated from demographics, social norms and values, and economics. Conceiving of rural places as simple and problem-free places where everyone gets an equal chance at happiness and prosperity is not only myth but is deeply problematic.
