Hallowing Out The Middle Analysis

In the book, Hallowing Out the Middle, Carr and Kefalas attempt to understand the process of the rural brain by categorizing and studying the trajectories of four groups of young adults in “Ellis”, Iowa. The way the authors categorize people in this book is not appealing to me as a reader. In the preface, the authors stated that, “We are not experts on rural American, small towns, or regional development. In fact, in our combined professional lives, we have spent all our time…on urban issues and problems” (9). With this statement being one of the first things you read, it shows that the authors have no ethos. It’s difficult to drop into a town for a year and come away with a deep understanding with what you’ve encountered. They do bring in