Rural mountain natives, in-migrants, and the cultural divide

Conventional wisdom suggests that different views held by native and in-migrant rural residents lead to a division that ultimately damages community. Using a sample of rural residents in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, we seek to (1) determine whether these groups differ and, if they do, (2) explain the predictors of the difference. Our results suggest that there are demographic and attitudinal differences between natives and in-migrants, although a significant number of in-migrants share native attitudes. Proportion of lifetime spent in the region and perception of threat to cultural heritage play important roles in determining shared attitudes among the groups, implying that natives and in-migrants may not be as different as previously assumed and that in-migrant status by itself may not be sufficient to explain changes in rural community.