Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

ACTIVITY: Facts and Statistics

Students research and share factual information on a societal problem broached by Vance’s memoir.

Vance’s memoir expands on several problems in late 20th century/early 21st century American society. These include drug abuse, including prescription drug abuse; domestic violence; teenage pregnancy; the failing public education system; and the economic decline of the postwar industrial regions.

Use a variety of scholarly resources to research one of these topics during the same time frame as the years discussed in the book (mid-1940s to present day). Focus on addressing the following questions:

• What is a definition or description of the social problem?
• What changes occurred with the problem during these years in the U.S.?
• Which states in the U.S. experience more of this problem than others?
• What is the current state of this problem? What policies or programs address it?

For example, if selecting the topic of drug abuse in America, focus on statistical research from the 1940s to present day on the usage of drugs within the U.S.; discuss how data shows changes during this time period (for example, has drug usage increased, decreased, or stayed the same).