State of North Carolina

Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium

Social Sciences and Humanities Abstracts

Student Author(s):	Andes, Melanie
Dept & College or University:	School of Nursing, UNC-Greensboro
Research Mentor(s):	Mona Shattell/School of Nursing, UNC-Greensboro
Title of Presentation:	“We're Like Caged-In Animals": Patients' and Nurses' Experiences of the Acute Care Psychiatric Environment

Patients and nurses have different priorities and experiences in the psychiatric acute care environment. In the inpatient psychiatric environment, the therapeutic milieu is considered the primary treatment modality. The therapeutic milieu can be described as a growth-promoting environment created by physical space and the relationships that are created within that space. Where patient outcomes are dependant upon the therapeutic milieu, it is important to know how nurses and patients experience this phenomenon. However, other than theoretical knowledge, little is known about similarities and differences in patients' and nurses' perceptions of this environment. This study explores the experiences of patients and nurses by asking them, "What stands out to you about this psychiatric hospital environment?" Preliminary phenomenological analysis of patients' and nurses' experiences reveals themes that include powerlessness, safety, trust, freedom, intimidation, and degradation; however, the groups experience the themes differently. For example, patients experience staff as degrading and dehumanizing, and nurses experience hospital administrators as degrading and dehumanizing. Nurses feel caged-in by the nursing station and patients feel caged-in by the locked doors of the unit. As data analysis continues, we hope to more fully understand how the lived experience of patients and nurses in the psychiatric environment is affected by the space they inhabit, the people they encounter there, and the relationships created between them.

Student Author(s):	Boston, Yallana
Dept & College or University:	History and Political Science, Saint Augustine's College
Research Mentor(s):	James A. Kendrick/Political Science, Saint Augustine's College
Title of Presentation:	Race and Racism: Biological or Socio-Political Construct

Race is so deeply rooted in the heart of American History that the answers to the race problems that people thought were solved many decades ago only create more questions that only highlight the problem. Racism (based on one's race) is so pervasive in the United States that it has affected welfare, education, Medicare, employment, crime and even one's residency. Many of the solutions that have been suggested to alleviate the race-related problems in America so often intensify the problem. This is partly because many of the suggested solutions forces change upon individuals and are often legislated instead of addressing one's attitude about persons who don't look like them. In addition, racial groups tend to abide and socialize in areas and activities they share with other members of their racial group. As a result, racial stereotypes are taught and passed on from generation to generation. Are the phenotypic differences in individuals biological or socio-political constructs? I suggest that race and racism in America are socio-political constructs developed by the American people and government. The word "race" was not included in the English language until 1508 and there is no genetic trait that is common to all people of any one race. There is no accepted scientific evidence that shows that race and racism are biological constructs. America's preoccupation with race is not unfounded or unreasonable because there are obvious historical reasons for race's pervasive presence in America. However, these concepts are kept alive and thriving by living Americans and will not change until Americans as a whole change them.

Student Author(s):	Brake, Ellen R.
Dept & College or University:	East Carolina University
Research Mentor(s):	Ellen Arnold/English; Ethnic Studies, East Carolina University
Title of Presentation:	Socioacupuncture in Practice: A New Look at Leslie Marmon Silko's Gardens in the Dunes

As literature progresses into the 21st century, the literary canon is becoming increasingly outdated. Many writers, including American Indian and non-Western authors, are pushed into the shadows of the "literary giants" of our past, their stories relegated to the few multicultural literature classes, most of which are almost exclusively populated by the renegade English major seeking shelter from the more canonical offerings. This separation of cultures is creating an environment of divisiveness among literary scholars, a divisiveness that must be rectified if the human story is to be told in its entirety. The proposition of this paper is that the field of literature can be healed and unified once more if socioacupuncture is utilized. Socioacupuncture is an invasive technique of reinterpreting literature, specifically American Indian literature that has been mistranslated and mal-interpreted in a post-colonial literary scene. However, I propose that socioacupuncture is a technique that can be applied to any literature, regardless of the ethnicity of its author. In an effort to clarify the concept of socioacupuncture, this paper takes a critical look at Leslie Marmon Silko's novel, Gardens in the Dunes. Incorporating both a Western European Victorian world and an Native American world, Gardens in the Dunes is an ideal candidate for examining how socioacupuncture, when correctly applied, can be used to benefit any piece of literature. By using Silko's example, I hope to demonstrate that socioacupuncture is a necessary step in the healing of the literary canon through the incorporation of non-Western writers.

Student Author(s):	Brown, Angela
Dept & College or University:	History and Political Science, Saint Augustine's College
Research Mentor(s):	Joyce Blackwell/Division of Social Sciences, Saint Augustine's College
Title of Presentation:	African Influence in a Small Bahian Community: Using Salvador as a Case Study to learn More About Ancient West African Culture and Its Effect on Other Cultures

The study of ancient African cultural influences on cultures in the African Diaspora is becoming increasingly important to historians and other scholars. For American scholars interested in a definitive answer as to why some Africanisms have remained a central part of the African-American culture, perhaps the answer lies in communities in the African Diaspora with a strong African presence and unique political, social and economic institutions. Salvador, located in the northeastern province of Bahia, Brazil, has extremely strong African influences in its cultural practices, which are still evident today. Even more significant is how Salvadorans have been able to maintain their cultural practices. I believe that a closer examination of this culture can reveal important informaton about why other communities with a large African population were not able to retain much of their ancient African cultural practices. I contend that Salvador was able to retain much of its Africanisms because of its unique political, economic and social development.

Student Author(s):	Caldwell, Ticola S.
Dept & College or University:	Psychology, NCSU
Research Mentor(s):	Pamela Martin/Psychology in the Public Interest, NCSU
Title of Presentation:	Factors that Contribute or Hinder Achievement Motivation among Low-income African American Elementary Students

The focus of this qualitative study is to examine the multiple factors that influence the reasons why low-income African American elementary age students are experiencing low academic achievement. Four educators in the North Carolina area were interviewed about their opinions and theories of academic motivation in relation to low-income African American students. A content analysis was employed to determine the underlying themes discussed by the participants. The themes underscore the importance of children nested in the context of their family, school, and community to understand the diverse learning strategies children bring to school, especially, low-income African American students. This research underscores the role of parental socialization as well as extended family networks in communicating values about African American culture and education. Implications for future community and school based interventions are also discussed.

Student Author(s):	Dalrymple, Anne S.
Dept & College or University:	Foreign Languages and Literature, East Carolina University
Research Mentor(s):	Debra L. Anderson/Foreign Languages, East Carolina University.
Title of Presentation:	Faat Kine: African Feminism in the Twentieth-First Century

The Senegalese film director Ousmane Sembene has been and continues to be one of the most emblematic and influential in Africa and beyond its borders. His 2001 film, Faat Kine, which he wrote and produced, is a tribute to “the daily heroism of African women.” Through flashbacks, Ousmane Sembene retraces the history of Faat Kine, a Senegalese Muslim woman, who manages a gas station in Dakar. The film recounts her struggles to raise her two children, to move up the social ladder and to be respected as a single mother. The film is an analysis of the role of African women in a patriarchal society with regards to their financial, social, and religious roles and influence. This study will concentrate on the character of Faat Kine as a symbol of the social evolution of African women.

Student Author(s):	Dellinger, Kathryn Anne Elizabeth Justice
Dept & College or University:	Religion and Philosophy, Mars Hill College
Research Mentor(s):	Katharine Meacham/Religion and Philosophy, Mars Hill College
Title of Presentation:	Harry Potter and Miss. Ogyny’s Cloak of Invisibility

The popular children’s series, Harry Potter, is widely known for its religious and mythological themes. Author J.K. Rowling creates multi-dimensional worlds with Christian, neopagan and mythological symbols that have fascinated children and adults alike. The reader who views the books from the perspective of Christian feminist theology can see a symbolic cloak of social ideas that are less obvious and perhaps unintentional. One such thing is the “hierarchical dualism” of the male/female relationship (Johnson, 11). Rowling presents the wizarding world as patriarchal ---powered by males and even misogynistic. Rowling’s use of the social constructs of masculinity and femininity show the reader that this dualism is not only present in the muggle world but also the wizarding world.

Student Author(s):	Elliott, Patrick
Dept & College or University:	Political Science, Elon University
Research Mentor(s):	Robert Anderson/Political Science, Elon University
Title of Presentation:	North Carolina’s Incorporation of the Public as a Means of Preventing Terrorist Attacks

As the United States government continues the complex task of protecting the homeland from terrorist attack, it must continually examine available resources, methods of operation, and means of prevention. This study examines the conditions under which the government of North Carolina attempts to incorporate the public into preventing terrorist attacks within its three largest metropolitan areas: Raleigh/Durham, Charlotte, and Greensboro. By investigating the current measures taken by the different levels of the government, interviewing the officials responsible for matters of homeland security, and comprehending the intricate nature of awareness campaigns, this study will assess the practice and possible alternatives for North Carolina’s involvement of the public in terrorism prevention.

Student Author(s):	Errickson, Marissa A. Ragland, Angelita
Dept & College or University:	Psychology, East Carolina University
Research Mentor(s):	Elaine Ironsmith/Psychology, East Carolina University Marion Eppler/Psychology, East Carolina University
Title of Presentation:	Achievement Motivation in Lower Income English Language Learners

Research on achievement motivation has shown that young children differ in how they respond to criticism and challenging situations. For example, children who downgrade their performance after criticism also tend to make negative self-judgments, have negative affect, and prefer non-challenging tasks. In contrast, children who are less affected by criticism show increased persistence. Past research has focused on upper-middle class children. Our research focused on an understudied population – lower SES children whose native language was Spanish. We studied achievement motivation in English Language Learners ages 5-7 years. Each child completed an easy puzzle and then worked on a difficult puzzle with inadequate time to finish. As a measure of preference for challenge, they were asked to choose a puzzle to work on again. Next, the children listened to two stories and were encouraged to identify with the protagonist. Both stories involved the protagonist making an error, but one story included criticism and the other did not. After both tasks, the children answered questions about their confidence in doing the task, affect, and willingness to perform the same task (persistence in response to challenge). Our analyses compared children who chose the easy puzzle (n = 11) versus children who chose the difficult puzzle (n = 7). Children’s affect was more negative after hearing the story followed by criticism. However, children who chose the easy puzzle showed greater negative change. Our sample size was small, so these trends failed to reach statistical significance. In addition, children who preferred the difficult puzzle also tended to complete twice as many of the puzzle pieces, suggesting that they used more effective strategies. This group also had greater confidence in their ability. Overall, this understudied population showed patterns similar to middle class samples. Understanding achievement motivation goals should aid in planning educational interventions for this group.

Student Author(s):	Fulmer, Everett C.
Dept & College or University:	Philosophy and Religion, UNC-Wilmington
Research Mentor(s):	Diana Pasulka/Philosophy and Religion, UNC-Wilmington
Title of Presentation:	Heidegger’s Social Critiques: The Problem of Technology and the Possibility of Salvation through Art

Two of the most influential essays by Martin Heidegger are "The Question Concerning Technology" and "The Origin of the Work of Art." Despite the fact that these two essays appear to be about very different things, both are in fact motivated by the same grounding insight. This insight is Heidegger's notion that modern technology, and the epistemology that perpetuates it, is alienating to human beings, in their relationships to one another, and in their relationships to their world. The scope and scale of this problem is directly laid out in “The Question Concerning Technology,” but it is not until one looks back to the earlier essay, “The Origin of the Work of Art” that it becomes explicitly clear how and why art is the salvific power. In this paper I will explore Heidegger’s position on the problem of technology, discuss why it is a problem, and how this problem has been manifested in the social settings in which we live. In referencing particular examples I will first illustrate the world as Heidegger saw it in the 1950s discussing the particulars he mentions as instantiations of the problem. Then I will present current examples from contemporary society showing that this technological epistemology has only become more pervasive and thus more destructive. After setting out the problem as it exists today I will explore Heidegger’s panacea and the arguments supporting it in “The Origin of the Work of Art.” Finally tackling the most pertinent question, I will address whether Heidegger’s solution is possible in our current globalized technological age.

Student Author(s):	Gordon, Christina M. Gharpure, Devki Shunmugamm, Gunasehare
Dept & College or University:	Sociology and Anthropology, NCSU
Research Mentor(s):	Anne L. Schiller/Sociology and Anthropology, NCSU
Title of Presentation:	Changing Human Infrastructure: Immigrant Vendors in Florence’s Central Market

San Lorenzo Market, located in Florence, Italy, is one of that city’s major commercial centers. The large warehouse that houses the interior market has been a source of pride to Florentines since 1874. The warehouse is also the centerpiece of a vibrant neighborhood with a strong local identity. In the past two decades, however, the face of the San Lorenzo Market and its role in the community have experienced dramatic transformation. This transformation is due to factors including tourism, global market forces, local politics, and a massive influx of legal and illegal immigrants. This anthropological research project was designed to yield a deeper understanding of the impact of immigration and other changes on the interior market’s human infrastructure. Through a focus on social and economic relationships among local and immigrant vendors, researchers sought to determine whether new, interethnic social networks were taking shape. The study revealed that while a diversified merchant body has brought an increased variety of goods to San Lorenzo, cultural clashes and intercultural competition has also resulted between the local vendors and newer migrant vendors. Modernity and globalization have thus challenged the traditional human infrastructure and identity of this market socially, physically and economically.

Student Author(s):	Hacic-Vlahovic, Ana
Dept & College or University:	Political Science, UNC-Chapel Hill
Research Mentor(s):	Milada Anna Vachudova/Political Science/UNC-Chapel Hill
Title of Presentation:	Croatia Looking Westward

Croatia Looking Westward is an examination of public opinion attitudes of Croatian elites towards European integration and the reasons behind public opinion support and disapproval of European integration. Research was complied using interviews and news sources during the summer of 2006 in Zagreb, Croatia. This project studies why Croatian elites think differently about European integration and why public support for the European Union in Croatia is shifting. Subjects such as access to information, cultural identity, national consciousness, government, the media, and economics are all discussed and evaluated.

Student Author(s):	Harrell, Nicholas
Dept & College or University:	Geography, UNC-Greensboro
Research Mentor(s):	Selima Sultana/Geography, UNC-Greensboro
Title of Presentation:	Measuring Accessibility to Employment and other Destinations by Bicycle

Bicycling is often viewed as a possible alternate transportation mode to the automobile. It is commonly chosen for health/recreational, environmental, and cost reasons. However, there are many deterrents to cycling for commuting or other urban travel. Commute distances, weather, topography and most notably the safety of biking on city streets, have kept the public from cycling to many urban destinations. There are also socioeconomic factors involved, such as education level, income, and race that may play a role in cycling. The objective of this project is to determine the accessibility of activity centers by bicycle travel within the city of Greensboro. Greensboro is a rapidly growing city, and has developed a bicycle plan that allows for alternative transportation modes in future transportation planning. Activity centers considered are such destinations as job concentrations, public schools and universities, shopping centers, and grocery stores. Cycling times between these centers and residential neighborhoods will be estimated using bicycle paths or other feasible routes on city streets. This project will use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to digitally represent street networks and travel speeds. These cycling speeds will then be used to calculate the number and importance of destinations in close proximity to neighborhoods with different socioeconomic characteristics. This measure of accessibility can be mapped to show how different areas of the city vary in their access to destinations, as well as showing the potential impacts of additional bicycle facilities on travel patterns. This is crucial in order to better promote bicycling in North Carolina cities.

Student Author(s):	Hart, Blake
Dept & College or University:	Religion and Philosophy, Mars Hill College
Research Mentor(s):	Matthew Baldwin/Religion and Philosophy, Mars Hill College
Title of Presentation:	Voices of Adolescents: Bridging Rock Music with the Rock of Ages

Rock and roll has always been a strong voice of youth culture. Ever since the rock artists of the 1950s, adolescents have looked up to and at times emulated these pop culture icons. This has caused rock and roll music to come under intense scrutiny by parents, government, and the Christian church. Rock artists have often been attacked as inappropriate, deviant role models who are useless to greater society. This rejection has usually come most strongly from the Christian church. However, youth have such a strong connection with their music, something much deeper than mere appreciation. Therefore, it should be feared that such a reckless rejection of this voice of youth culture may in fact send the message that adolescents are not needed or wanted. The church has two basic options for its response to pop culture: rejection and declared war upon deviant culture, or research and engagement of the culture. My paper demonstrates that the developmental concerns of adolescents, as they are played out in modern times, contribute to a sociological tie between adolescents and their music. Through research and active engagement with the culture of rock music, the church can learn to understand the concerns of young people and will be better able to reach them in their ministry.

Student Author(s):	Hartzell, Sam
Dept & College or University:	Political Science, UNC-Chapel Hill
Research Mentor(s):	Georg S. Vanberg/Political Science, UNC-Chapel Hill
Title of Presentation:	The Anatomy of Delay: Statistics Concerning Appeals in the North Carolina Courts

Every case decided in the North Carolina trial courts involves a built-in right to appeal to the North Carolina Court of Appeals. During 2005, the Court of Appeals decided appeals in 1,636 cases. Analysis of these cases reveals a court system that is falling well short of American Bar Association guidelines for timeliness. The Court resolved 75% of criminal cases within 21 months (615 days), 2.1 times as long as the ABA guideline of 290 days. Only 1% of criminal appeals were resolved within the stipulated number of days. While delay is rampant in both criminal and civil cases, it is especially pronounced in criminal appeals. The average appeal in a criminal case took 511 days to be resolved, 83 days longer than the average civil appeal. This figure is especially significant because in 2005 29% of criminal appeals resulted in an appeals decision disapproving some aspect of the trial court’s rulings. While the errors found range in severity from minor to serious, the courts have a responsibility to correct them quickly and my research sheds light on those areas where the Court of Appeals is falling short.

Student Author(s):	Hill, Stephanie R.
Dept & College or University:	Psychology, East Carolina University
Research Mentor(s):	Marsha Ironsmith/Psychology, East Carolina University
Title of Presentation:	Implicit Theories, Social Attitudes and Volunteerism in College Students

Dweck (2000) found that individuals hold implicit theories about personal attributes, which influence their academic achievement, personal relationships and belief in cultural stereotypes. Entity theorists believe that qualities such as ability and personality are fixed while incremental theorists believe they are malleable. Entity theorists tend to adopt stereotyped views toward social groups and feel less efficacious in dealing with challenging tasks. Incremental theorists are less prone to stereotyping and respond to challenges with persistence and flexibility. I examined the relations among implicit theories, motivations for community service and social attitudes. Participants included freshmen honors students, introductory psychology students and students participating in an Americorps-funded tutoring program. Measures included Volunteerism (frequency of volunteer service and number of volunteer hours), Volunteer Functions Inventory (motivations for volunteering), Social Dominance Orientation Scale (preference for in-group dominance over out-groups), Community Service Self Efficacy (the belief that you can make a difference in people's lives) and Goals Orientation scale (entity and incremental goals). Incremental goals were negatively correlated with Social Dominance (r = -.12, p < .05) and positively correlated with volunteerism (r = .16, p < .006), the Volunteer Functions values subscale (motivated by concern for others) (r = .31, p < .001) and Community Service Efficacy (r = .18, p < .004). In contrast, an entity orientation correlated positively with the Volunteer Function of advancing careers (r = .17, p < .004) and social dominance (r = .19, p < .002) and negatively with Efficacy (r = .17, p < .006). Students with different implicit theories have varying motivations for volunteering, social beliefs and beliefs about the efficacy of community service. Recognizing these individual differences should help us better understand how service learning and volunteer experience influence college students' personal growth and development.

Student Author(s):	Hoffman, Candace
Dept & College or University:	Meredith College
Research Mentor(s):	Rebecca Duncan/English Studies, Literary Theory, Meredith College
Title of Presentation:	Floating on Fact: Life of Pi as Postmodern Survival Narrative

Survivor literature records the struggle to recover selfhood. This struggle may involve negation, as in Elie Wiesel’s denial of God in Night, yet the subgenre generally presumes the possibility of a stable, unified self. What happens when a survivor’s experience and recovery occur in a postmodern context that questions the notions of selfhood? Like Melville’s Ishmael, Martel’s Pi Patel relies on fact and facticity to construct his self and world. In youth his reflections drift among three religions and zoological minutae. When literally adrift and fighting for survival, he confronts the materiality of the encyclopedic and theoretical pastiche that has constructed his selfhood. Pressing questions—rendered more complex by a somewhat intrusive authorial voice—involve relationships of fact to truth and truth to new notions of selfhood. This research combines multi-disciplinary approaches to survivor narratives with postmodern literary theory to produce new understandings of trauma survival in fiction and in life.

Student Author(s):	Hopkins, Ingrid R.
Dept & College or University:	English, Mars Hill College
Research Mentor(s):	Carol Boggess/English, Mars Hill College
Title of Presentation:	The Passages of India

E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India, published in 1924, is set during England’s oppressive period of colonization at the turn of the twentieth century. As a member of the Bloomsbury Group, Forster had successfully explored the social effects of economic inequities on the human condition. Throughout his life, Forster was interested in perfecting the form of the novel as his own contribution to the remedy of such social ills. In Aspects of the Novel Forster explains his motivation by stating that “the development of the novel --[was] important, because it implied the development of humanity.” A Passage to India exemplifies how a novel can fulfill such a purpose. Forster accomplishes his goal by using the term “passage” as a thread to interconnect the story, setting, and characters in a way that reinforces and gives larger meaning to the “aspects” of the novel than they would carry individually. The concept of “passage” becomes a theme capable of coherently expressing the relationship of struggles among the diverging cultures of India. Forster argued that pattern and rhythm can add what he calls “aesthetic beauty” to the novel and that such beauty “may be nourished by anything--[even] a word.” Within his title, the term “passage” suggests a critical approach that allows readers to judge the book on its own intrinsic merits as a work of art. This study will explore how varying definitions of “passage” are relevant to Forster’s own experiences in India, to the work as a whole, and to the contemporary western awareness of the effects of colonization.

Student Author(s):	Hudspeth, John T. Clemmons, Jon
Dept & College or University:	Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, NCSU
Research Mentor(s):	Jason Bocarro/Parks Recreation and Tourism Management, NCSU
Title of Presentation:	Intramural Programs in Middle Schools

Obesity is a problem in the United States that has significant social and economic implications for the future. Studies have shown that the middle school years are when adolescents are most likely to drop out of participating in organized sports. Research has also shown that the middle school years are a time when children engage in less moderate- vigorous physical activity which has a direct impact on their overall health and well-being. In order to effectively address this problem there must be an avenue that will reach a large audience of children. The inclusive multiple sport orientation of intramural sport programs may be well suited to achieve the goal of facilitating physically active adults that are committed sport participants. Through exposing children to an extensive array of activities it is possible to expand a child’s recreational repertoire and ensure that they have a better chance of active participation in sports later in life. An inclusive intramural program could benefit society as a whole by giving children the basis for an active adulthood. Potential benefits include an overall healthier population with a lowered healthcare burden. The purpose of this undergraduate research project was to examine the role of intramural program in facilitating immediate and long term effects on physical activity, healthy behavior, and obesity in children. This pilot study used a self –report psychological measure based on the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985; 2001), designed to assess attitudes or intentions toward continuing to participate in a current activity(s). The theory of planned behavior model predicts intention through three latent variables: attitude toward the activity, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Along with the quantitative data, qualitative interviews were conducted with 15-20 children participating in the program as well as focus groups with teachers involved in the intramural program.

Student Author(s):	Kelsch, Katherine M.
Dept & College or University:	Philosophy and Religion, NCSU
Research Mentor(s):	Marina Bykova/Philosophy and Religion, NCSU
Title of Presentation:	Politics and Social Interaction in Hegel and Traditional Social Contract Theory

The paper will focus on the analysis of Hegel's concept of social contract comparing it with classic social contract theories, such as those developed by Hobbes and Locke. Both Hegel's approach and the social contract theorists' approach will be compared and contrasted based on several levels of critical and comparative analysis. Specifically examined will be their respective contents, theoretical and practical implications, traditional deficiencies, as well as the theoretical benefits provided. Comparatively examining the above mentioned aspects of both Hegel’s political philosophy and that of traditional social contract theory, will lay the theoretical foundation necessary to allow for an interpretive analysis in terms of the appropriateness of their respective practical application to the contemporary – and characteristically interconnected – global community.

Student Author(s):	Laws, Randall
Dept & College or University:	History, Mars Hill College
Research Mentor(s):	Lucia Carter/History Department/Mars Hill College
Title of Presentation:	The Meaning of a Symbol: How did the People of Yancey County, North Carolina View the Confederate Battle Flag during the Civil War Era?

Today in Southern Appalachia there exists a heated debate over what some have called America's most controversial symbol: The Confederate Battle Flag. Many have viewed this flag through their own cultural and economic experiences thereby allowing their own values to interpret this symbol. The division over the Confederate Battle Flag during the Civil War is commonly known in terms of the sectional differences between Northern and Southern people. Many assume that all people who lived in the South during the Civil War were loyal to their flag and the Southern cause. This was not the case in many mountain communities. What my study will attempt to do is to look back at the time of the Civil War and see how the people of Yancey County, North Carolina viewed the Confederate Battle Flag. Loyalties in the mountains shifted as the war lingered on. When the Confederate government enacted the Conscription Act that would require much longer service, many soldiers began to see that loyalty to the family was more important than loyalty to the Confederate cause. These divisions of loyalties, that often ran along class lines in the mountains between rural farmers and the wealthier townspeople, show that many Southerners saw the Confederacy and its symbols in a very different way than commonly expected. Presently, when we see the Confederate Battle Flag displayed in Yancey County, one can't help but think: Would the residents that lived here during the Civil War era have want to see this controversial symbol?