Table Of ContentPOWER AND
POWERLESSNESS
QuiescaenndRc eeb ellion
ina nA ppalacVhailalne y
by
JOHN GAVENTA
CLAREND ON PRESS · OXFORD
1908
OxfoUrndi vePrrseWisatysl ,t onO xSftoorxr2e 6deD tP,
OXFORD LONDON GLASGOW
NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE WELLINGTON
KUALA LUMPUR SISGAPOR.E JAKARTA HONG KONG TOK\"0
DELHIB OMBAY CALCUTTA MADRAS KARACHI
NAIROBI DAR ES SALAAM CAPE TOWN
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PREFACE
Neart heC umbelrnadG ap,s tretchbientgw eetnh eP inea nd
Cumbernlda Mountainascr ossp artso fT ennseseaen d Ken
tuck,yl ietshe Valelya boutw hicthh isb ooki sw ritteOnft. h e
manye xpeirensc erememberferodm that sumwmheern I
frisetn terde theV alle,oy nep ehrapsm arksm y intruocdtion
tot he quesitonhse rep urseud.W itha communiyt oragnizer
int hea rae,I h ad climabn eardr wo patht oa m ountaicnab in
tot alkt oa retidr eminre aboutj oniinwgi tho thersi na lwa
suicth lalengtihneg l owt axatioonf tchoer porcaotlaep rop
ertwyh ichs urroundehdi hs ome.T hem iner lisattetneendt
iveltyot hea cconuto ft hel oclia jnustiwcheicsh s evearlo ther
sutdentasn d hIa d' diosvceerd'H.es hoewdn os urpristeh,uo gh
hisr esopnsem ighth aveb eena nitciaptde.T hel ando fh is
fatehrh ad beent akenb y thec oall ordHse. k newo ft he
inequititehes V ailnl esyi nce.
In thiso pportunittoy m ove agasinto neo ft hel ong
santdingi nequiseit,t hough,t he minesrh owedn o particru la
intesrteH.i sr esopnsdei dn ots eemo neo fa pathoyri gnorance.
Its eemed tog rowf rmo pasetx peirencienst he Vall,e ays
wellas f rom hiss ittuiaoinn t hep resnet.Th em inre under
sotod somehtingo fp owerlsesnseso,f p owera,n do fh ow the
twoc oulds ervet om aintiani nactiuopnon inujsitc,ee veni n
a 'demcorac'y.O f thatk nowldege, my ratehrt radiiotanl
schooilnga tt hen earbyu niveiyrt shadt aught vmeer yl iltet.
I had readt het hoerieosfd emocrac,ya bouth owv ictims
ofi nujstiicnea n' oepns ysetm'a ref reteo t akea citon upon
theicro necrns,ab out hocwon flisc etmegrea nda rer esvoedl
throuhg compormiseasm ongscto mpetinign teesrt.s Over
lookintgh eV allefyro m them ine'rsp orc,h whIas taw seemed
to quesotni thel essoInh sa dl eranedL.i kmea nyt hrouoguht
CentraAlp palahciat,he Valleiysr icihn n aturarle souersc,
espiealclyc ola,y eti tpse oplree maipno or: estimatheesr e
70
suggesetdt hatu p to perc ento ft hef amilireesm anied
30
belotwh ep overtyn el,wi hiluep t o per cewenrte u nem
ploeyd.T hough theV alleiyse ndowewdi thl anadb udnant
�eafce
VI
fori tss evearlt housnad residenttsh,ep eoplaer el anlde:s s
75 60,000
some perc ento f tlhaen d-eorv acreiss-o wned
and conrtolledb y a singcloer opratoewn er,t he Amercian
Assoctioian,L td.a, B rtiischom pany,c ontrloeld( tat het ime)
byS ir DenLaywss on,a formeLro rdM ayoro f Londaondn
oneo fB riitna'sw ealthiestme n.B lessedw itnh aturlab euaty,
ther esourceosf t heV allye satndr aepd: unreacimled srtip
(open cas)t mininignl yaesr alongt hem ounatinhsa sl eftthe
ladnscaep scardr,te heh illsdiese rdoedt,he creekasn db ottom
lnadsfi lledw iths i,la tciadn dc oal.A glancaett hem iner's
gnarlheadn dsa ndt hes ounodf h isw eak lurnegmsni dedm e
that dmeienpni g,t ooh,a dt akeint tso lIln.t heU niteSdt ates
a mineirs k illeedv eroyt her doanye,i si jnuerde veyr ten
mintue,sa ndt hoset hastu rvivset nada threien f oucrh ance
ofg ettibnlga clku ng( ac hroincd isaese from inahlinmgi nute
particleosfb lcakc oald ust.T )heries l itet clompenstaoini n
thec ommunitfyo rw hati sl osatt w ork:s evricefsr omt he
countyc ourotuhser,e ahcedv ia daa ngreousr oada,r ef ew.
Alla ruondi neuqaliietasb ound.
Butt hei neqauliiteisn t heV alely,es epcilaltyh oseb etween
the communitayn dt he Company,s eemendo tt op rovoke
challee.nT ghec heife xecuitveo ffciero ft he countyi nissted
thatth erwee ren op articuplraorlb emsi nt he cola-pdruocing
portoin of thec ount.y Neitehrd idt heo nces rtonga nd
miltianutn oin,t heU niteMdi neW orkerosf A merica(U MWA),
seem att het imteo bae s ourcoef c halelngteo t hes taqtuuos.
Inf actm,an y oft hem inerisnt he Vallweeyr en on-uinono,r
belongde toa s mal,lc ompanyd-ominatdew orke'ra sssociation.
Againstc oroprtae exploaititona nd governmennte gle,c t
nowheer in theV alledyi dt heer appear tob e organized
prtoes. tbIe gant ow ondeirfI woulnd otd ob ettteort urn
my tradointailp oliictaslc ienacre oundt:o ask notw hy
rebelloicocnu risn a 'demorcac'yb utw hy,i nt he faceo f
massiivnee qualsi,it tdi oesen o.t
I begant or eadl iteratwuhirceh c hallegned some oft he
more elitidsemto cratitch oeriest o wliich Ip revhiaodu sly
beene xpoesd.S tiflrlse hf rmo my expeierncei nt he Valle,y
I attempetd to deveolp a morea deuqatee xplaantiofno r
whatI hads eenI.n sitautoinso fi nequa,l tithyep olitical
resposneo f tdheep irvemda yb es eeasn af unctioonfp ower
Preafce vii
reloatnishsi.pP owerw orkst o devoepl and maintaint he
queiscenocfet hep owelresRse.b lelioans,a corollamrayy,
emegrea sp owerr eltaiosnhipasr ea lteedrT.o getehrp,a ttrnes
ofp oweran d powelressnecsans keepi ssuferso ma rsiin,g
griveancesf rom benig voic,e adnd inteesrtsfr mo being
recgoniezd.
To suggestt hta quisecence( or rebel)l miiognhbte r eleadt
top owerw as tpolu ngei mmeditaeliyn taon e xtendaendd
livedleyba tei np olitli sccaien. cWheati s tmheea ningo f
power?H ow can we tewlhol h asi ta ndw hoh asn otW?h eni s
ite xecirse,d and withw hate ffectsI?n P arIt oft his book
Chaptre 1 picsk up thed ebateex,ma inintgh ree approaches
tot he sutdyo fp owera nd arguintgh ta eachc arirewsi thi t
a particuulnadre rstandoifpn ogl tiilci anactiionnt he facoef
inqeualtiy.I nt het radointlai plulrias'ta sppraochp, oweri s
undesrtoopdri mariilnyt ermosfw hop artiicpatwehso,g ains
and who previalisn d ecisioank-imnagb oukte yi suses.T he
pheonmenon ofq uiesecncei ss epraatedf romt hes tuyd of
power. The pluarlsitsa'pp rocah hasb ene chlalendg bey a
seconsdc oholw hicha rguetsh atp owerm ay workt ol imit
thea citonosf t her elatipvoewleyr letshsr ouag 'hm obliiziaotn
ofb iast'ht a prevnetsc eritnai ssuaends actofrrso mg aining
accetsost hed ecsiio-nmakinpgr oecssT.h es econvdi ewh as
beene xtendd bey a thirvdie ww hichs uggetshttasp owern ot
onlym ayl miita ctoinu poni nequtaliieist,a lsom ays erve to
shapceo ncepitonso f thpeow erleasbso tu the nataunrde
extenotf t he ineqluiatitehse meslveIsn.h isb ook,( Setven
LukesP,o weAr :R adicViaelw th)e p roponnteo ft hivsi ew
sketchesa 'thremee-ndsiioln'aa pproatcohp ower,w hichh e
claims' offertsh e opsrepcto fa seriouss ocioliocgaaln dn ot
merelyp ersnaolziede xplnaationo f hopwo ltiicasly smtse
prevte dnemandfsro m beocmingp olitiicsaslu oerse vefnr om
38).
beingm ade'(.p.
Thes ecnoda ndt hirvdi ewosf p owers eemde toc ontain
theb eignninogfsa theyo rrelatpionwge rt op articitpoiano r
nonpatricitpiaonb,u ti tw asu nclera exactlhyow thimsi ght
occuirn t hel ifoef a givecno mmunitIy d.e cdiedt or eturn
tot he Valleyw itha twofoltda s:kf irsttos, e eif tthhee ories
of power coulbde a ppldi ueseuflltyo b etteurn dertsanding
ther ealiiteso fp oliticaaclto in and belieoff t he primarily
vm Praecfe
whitea nd ruraplo, or anwdo rkinpge oploef a placlei ke
CentraAlp plaaciha;a nd seocndlyt,o s eei ft he empiircal
examniatioinst elcfo ulidlu lmiantef urtehrt het hoerteilc a
inetrrelationsohfi pposw er and powerlensess,s quiescence
andr ebelliinso int uatoifoi nnse qlutiay.
Thet askh asb een avoideidn tphaes att l easptar tlilay
becuaseo ft hem ethdooolgicla dififcutlieist w ast houhgt
top resenHto.w canw e stuyd thawth ichd oenso to cucr?
How canw e seet hes o-lclaed' hiddenf aecs'o fp ower?W hat
aboutp roblemosf o bjectiviotfym ,a kinags sumptiaobonust
whatp eoplmei ghtw ant?T houghd ififcultaireeps r eseIn t,
shalla rguteh atth eY.ar en oti nsmuoruntalbeI.n P art II, a
hisotrciala pprocah helptso doucmentt he shapiinngt he
pasto f roleosr r outinoefsp owerw hichc ontinuien t he
prese,nw titohutv isibclonefl icItn.P arItI I,tmhaei ntenncae
ofq uiescceeni nt hec ontemoprarVya lelyi se xaminbedy
identyiifngs peicfimce chnaismso f power from 'below',
i.ef.ro m thep erspteicvoef t hep owerlse.Is nP art pIaVr,t ici
panto bservaotni int he proceosfsc hlalegneo ra ttetmped
chllaenghee lpst oc onifrmt he extteonw hti chp atetrnso f
powera ndp owerlsesnespsr elcudei ssuferosm arisinogr
acotrsf roma ctingT.h rouhgoutd,i fferriesnpgo nsoefst he
Valyles' peopel tov aroiuso pprotunitfioeras c tioonr i n
actioinn their' booma ndb us't hisrtyoh elpt op rovide
evdiencef ora ssseisntgh ei mpcato fp oweru pont hem.
Chaptre 2a rgeus thtahteq ueisceen ocft heC enrtalA p
palachiaVna lleiys n otu niquien A mericRaa.t h,e rthe
strakness of itesq ualiintiaends thee xaggereadt charcater
oft hep owerr elationmsahyi mpask em orev isibplatet erns
ofb ehvaiouarnd beliwehfi hc aref ounadm ongsnto n-elites
elsewheArse i.t i nvolvaense xtremeplyoo rc ommunitiyn
them idsotf a bundantw ealtthh,e c asoef t he Appalachni a
Vallepyos eqsu estionasbo utt hep olitiocfps o vertrye lenvta
toA merical'osw ecrl assg enealrlyA.s i ti sa boumti nerasnd
theifra mili,e sthseut dyc osndierebsr oadqeure sitonsa bout
workings-scc loancsioussn,ea nsd unioann d indutsripaolw er.
As mucho ft heu nder-depveedlao rae iso wneda ndd omi
natebdy a Bristhi-sbeadc orportaino,a nu nderstanodfi ntgh e
sitatuioinn vvoelse xaminintgh ec ontmeporaryr oloef t he
multinatiiontn hale a ffaiorfas l ocal communitya,sw elals
Praefce ix
them eanst hruoghw hichp rotemsaty emergea giansltna d
hodlesrw ho arec orporataend absentee.
The empiricsatlu dbyeg inisn C hapt3e rb ye xmainintgh e
impacto fi ndurisatlp owera tt hee ndo ft hen ineteenth
centuruyp ona tradointali,r urapleo plein a nda roundt he
CumberlanGda po fK entucaknyd Tennessee.
4,
InC hapter theh istiocrals tuyd continuweist ha n ex
aminatioofnp owerr elantsihoipisnt hec ola camps oft he
1920asn d1 930sf oollwedb ya studoyf m ine'rm sovements
towi n theirrih gtst oo rganizae u nio,na ndt oh avet heri
voic·eehsar dw ithiint .
Int heV alle,yt hei neqlutiaieasn d tphoewe rr eliaotnisphs
surrounditnhge mc ontniuet odya verym ucha st heyw ere
5.
hisrtiocalelstya blhiesda,s i ss uggesteidnC hapter Chapters
7
6 and looka tt her epsonsetso t hosien eqluiatiaests h ey
occuirn t wop otenitamlo deso fc hlalnegel:oc apl olitiacnds
thel ocalu nio.nI nt hel oclap olitli caarenvai,e w'ar f omt he
botto'im ndicattheatsth e' vulneirlai'bto yft hen on-elitmeay
acocuntf or tfhaei luorfei ssuoefsi neuqalittoya ppera on
thed ecins-imoakiangegn da.
Int heU MWA ,c orruptiaonnd a utocracwye rec hlalenged
int hel at1e9 60sb y a ranka ndf iloer gaznaitioknn owna s
theM inerfso rD emorcac,yl edb yJ ockY abolnskwih,o w as
murdeerdf orh isp rtoes.tU ssinpgr eviouusnlayv ailatbrliea l
7
andu nionr ecdosr,C hapter exmainetsh eo ppoistioonf
them inerisnt heV alelyt ot her eformm ovementI.ts uggests
thatth ec asper odviesf urtheirl slrtuatioonft hem eansb y
whichp owerm ay servet op rotect twhereoh lpdo,ee rvent o
thee xtenotfs hpaingt hep erceptioofnt sh ep owerlesasbo ut
ag ivecnon flict.
8,
In Chapter the emergenocfec hallengaeg ainstt he
Brtiischo mpany whichm inesa ndm insd theV alely'rse
sourcebse gintsoi nditceta hee lemnetso fp owera ndp ower
lessnwehsisc hm ustb eo vecrome forp rotetsoot c ucrW.h ile
thep ossibiliftoiree ffsec tivaec tiboyna relatipvoewleyrl ess
groupm ay bel imtiedi na nys ittuiaonC,h atper9 suggests
thatth ed ififuclitemsa yb ee veng reatfeorr t hen oll-leitoef
a ruraclom munitayt teptmnigt ob ypsast he loclae lite and
toi nlfunecea na bsentetear get.
Int hatth efyo cuusp ond ifferinags pecotfts h ec ommunity
Praecfe
x
atd ifferipnogi ntinsi thsi sotrye,a cho f tehmep riiclca hap
termsa y bes eent oa ne xtneta ss epraaet casseut dieTsh.i s
allosw ac omparatiavpep raochw ithitnh es inlges iutation
itseYleft.i ti sa lsol iketlhya otn lyi nt hea ccumulation of
powera mongstth ev airousas petcsa ndm omentisn c om
munitlyie f wililt fsu lelff ectu pont hea ctioannds concep
tionosf thpeow erlesbse cmoe undertsoodT.h esei nter
reltaionshaispw se lla st hec onsqeuenceosf t hec asfeo ra
more genealru nderstandoifnp go wera nd powerlessn,e ss
quiesceanndc er eeblilonw ill tbhees ujbecotf t he Conlcusi,o n
Chapt1e0r.
In the prcoessof r elatitnhge eorticla notioonfss ocila
scientcoev aroiusa spcetso fe verdyay communiltiyef ,m uch
isl efutn done. TheoertilclayI, have notc onsidertehed
dififculqute sitono ft heb oundarietsh aste praatpeo wera nd
structMuerteh.od oloigclalyt,h es rtesso np rocessoefps o wer
ast heym ilitaagtiaen scth nagem ay havel edm e tou nderplay
thes ignicianfce oft hec hlalengtehsah ta voec crrued.E mpiri
callyI,h ave neoxptl orefdu llyt hei mpacto fc eritnas ocializ
atoin intsiuttoins-escpiealelydu catioannd reloing-iupon
powerr elantsihopis.
Whilteh esaer ec lera limittoianst ot hes utdy,I hopet hat
thei ntpelrya ofp erspeicvetsw ilhlav ef aciitlatoetdh ecro n
tirbutioFnrso.m t hec onseiradtioonf t hes peciiccf asIeh ope
wilclo mea more genrealt hoeryo ft hei mpcato fp owera nd
powerlsensesusp ont hep olitlia ccatioannds conceptioofn s
a depridv egroup.F rom tihluels tratioofna methodf or
exmainintgh e' thrdeiem ensniso'of p oweIrh opew ilclo me
stimulfuosr f urtheexrp laotriono ft het heyo rino thre
sittuianos. And,f romt hea pplitcaiono fb otht hoerya nd
methoda betteru ndernsdtiangh as beenb roughttom yslef,
andI h opet oo therosf,t hep ersispteolnitts i ocfi nequatlyi
in tohfitse onv elrooekdr egioonfC enrtaAlp palacah.i
Along thew ay,I haveb eneiftefdr omt hea sstiasncoef
manyp epolet,o w hom Ia m graetfulW.i thitnh eA ppalachian
regioIn h,a vel eranedf romt hosew hosewi sdomg rowsf rom
experienceisn confrontipnogwe r, and powelrensesssi,n
srtivifnogrs ocilac hang;ae sw elals f rom thea dvcieo fs oicla
scientwihsot hsav eu ndertakmeonre formalr eesarchi nt he
arae.F ora rchivaensdr eserachm ateirlast,h anksg ot ot he
Praefce xi
FinlC slouobfL ouiielsK,lve ntyuf copkrem rissnit oop esrue
anqdu ottehep apeorfCs .B . R oebr;!t sot hUeni tdMe ine
WorrkseR'ee sracDhe arptmneti nW asihngDt.onCf .oa rc cess
tot huen nir oecoarnddf soa rs tsnaicsiene pxlroitnhgme ;t o
thMeo edlVal leOyr aHli stVoidreyPo r joecftop,re rmission
tov eiwt,ar nscirbaen qdu ote tptaehtseo;it rhH ei hglander
Reseracahn Eddu ciaotCne nttehKree,n tuycS katte vAser,c hi
thTee nsnseeSaett Lei braanrAdyr cvhseia,s w elalst op er
sonisnn umerootuhsce uorn tcyuo rtsheogsuo,rnv meent
ofifceasnc,dmo muintoyr ngiatziaons.
InO xfo,rI db neefiftruetdhf errot mehc ommeonftt ohss e
whor eaadnd di usssceedra lrpi eoritonosrd raofft stw hoirks,
esplelcPyiet aeBrac hcrhaJ,u eltMi errlidCf,lid yeeM itcehll,
DavPirdi ,Jc ieSmh rapaen Pdh iWliilpml siI.a a m rptaicularly
gratteofm uylO xforsdu piesrvoSrtv,ee Lnu kesf,ot rh e
comibnanto ifeo nthusisausoptrpaitnc td oh ugtuhflc riictism
whichhep orvidaeldot nhgwe a yF.or f nianacnefd a icitiels,
It hkanN ufifeCloldl ,et geheR hodeSsc lhaorsThrusitpa, nd
thHei ghlaCnendteeVrre .rs yp elct aihnakgsot oA nnaB aer
foprta ienatnuldny ls ifeshtlyyp tihnmega nuistpc.r
Mosto fal lI,a mi ndeibntt ehdsiu tsdy t ot ehp oeploef
thCel eFaorrkV aelylS.i ntchtesa ummeirn1 9 7t1h,eh yva e
cnotintuotea edc, ih nm oerw aytshn at hekyn ow.
