‘Kinship like I've never experienced before’: Modern mechanical solidarity on the Appalachian trail network
Emile Durkheim (1858–1917) believed that mechanical solidarity–a type of social solidarity that emerges from the homogeneity of actors' social realities–is only able to flourish in traditional societies. The current study challenges that assertion by demonstrating that in modern-day America, me...
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Elsevier
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences and Humanities Open |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291124003061 |
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| author | Samantha B. Cake JoEllen Pederson |
| author_facet | Samantha B. Cake JoEllen Pederson |
| author_sort | Samantha B. Cake |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Emile Durkheim (1858–1917) believed that mechanical solidarity–a type of social solidarity that emerges from the homogeneity of actors' social realities–is only able to flourish in traditional societies. The current study challenges that assertion by demonstrating that in modern-day America, mechanical solidarity plays a prominent role in creating the uniquely generous, trusting culture in the thru-hiking community of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) network. This mixed-methods study used 10 semi-structured, ethnographic interviews and 97 survey questionnaire responses from current or former thru-hikers of the A.T. network. Hikers indicated in survey data that they see themselves as part of a hiking community. All respondents reported valuing collective trust, mutual respect, generosity, emotional support; and engaging in community-minded practices. Respondent's collective values, along with the common environment and shared goals that they possess as thru-hikers, produce a sense of collective consciousness–and thus, mechanical solidarity–in the thru-hiking community of the A.T. network. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0423a44f86084ec78f2a28365c53c520 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2590-2911 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences and Humanities Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-0423a44f86084ec78f2a28365c53c5202024-11-21T06:06:10ZengElsevierSocial Sciences and Humanities Open2590-29112024-01-0110101109‘Kinship like I've never experienced before’: Modern mechanical solidarity on the Appalachian trail networkSamantha B. Cake0JoEllen Pederson1Longwood University, 201 High Street, Farmville, VA, 23909, USACorresponding author.; Longwood University, 201 High Street, Farmville, VA, 23909, USAEmile Durkheim (1858–1917) believed that mechanical solidarity–a type of social solidarity that emerges from the homogeneity of actors' social realities–is only able to flourish in traditional societies. The current study challenges that assertion by demonstrating that in modern-day America, mechanical solidarity plays a prominent role in creating the uniquely generous, trusting culture in the thru-hiking community of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) network. This mixed-methods study used 10 semi-structured, ethnographic interviews and 97 survey questionnaire responses from current or former thru-hikers of the A.T. network. Hikers indicated in survey data that they see themselves as part of a hiking community. All respondents reported valuing collective trust, mutual respect, generosity, emotional support; and engaging in community-minded practices. Respondent's collective values, along with the common environment and shared goals that they possess as thru-hikers, produce a sense of collective consciousness–and thus, mechanical solidarity–in the thru-hiking community of the A.T. network.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291124003061Mechanical solidarityCommunityCollective trustGenerosityAppalachian trail |
| spellingShingle | Samantha B. Cake JoEllen Pederson ‘Kinship like I've never experienced before’: Modern mechanical solidarity on the Appalachian trail network Social Sciences and Humanities Open Mechanical solidarity Community Collective trust Generosity Appalachian trail |
| title | ‘Kinship like I've never experienced before’: Modern mechanical solidarity on the Appalachian trail network |
| title_full | ‘Kinship like I've never experienced before’: Modern mechanical solidarity on the Appalachian trail network |
| title_fullStr | ‘Kinship like I've never experienced before’: Modern mechanical solidarity on the Appalachian trail network |
| title_full_unstemmed | ‘Kinship like I've never experienced before’: Modern mechanical solidarity on the Appalachian trail network |
| title_short | ‘Kinship like I've never experienced before’: Modern mechanical solidarity on the Appalachian trail network |
| title_sort | kinship like i ve never experienced before modern mechanical solidarity on the appalachian trail network |
| topic | Mechanical solidarity Community Collective trust Generosity Appalachian trail |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291124003061 |
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