Date of Award
1-1-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Sociology
First Advisor
Albert Nylander
Second Advisor
Jeffrey Jackson
Third Advisor
Ryan Parsons
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
This study examines the impact of housing insecurity on educational attainment and community resilience in Cartersville, Mississippi, a historically marginalized community in the Mississippi Delta. Utilizing a qualitative research design, the study draws from in-depth interviews with eleven primary caregivers, revealing the multifaceted ways in which inadequate housing conditions affect children’s learning environments, mental health, and academic performance. The findings indicate that housing instability, manifested through overcrowding, poor infrastructure, and high financial burdens, significantly disrupts students’ educational experiences, contributing to absenteeism, limited academic focus, and stress-induced underperformance.
While the study highlights the persistent socioeconomic challenges linked to the enduring legacies of internal colonialism, it also uncovers a striking paradox: Cartersville residents construct an imagined sense of place that defies mainstream narratives of poverty and deprivation. Despite systemic barriers, families in Cartersville demonstrate resilience through strong kinship networks, community resource-sharing, and faith-based support systems. However, this resilience is often a survival mechanism rather than a sustainable solution, as structural inequities continue to limit access to educational and economic mobility.
These findings contribute to the broader discourse on internal colonialism and community resilience, illustrating how marginalized communities navigate historical disadvantage by imagining resilient places, cultivating familial bonds and localized support while simultaneously grappling with economic insecurity. The study underscores the need for structural interventions that move beyond resilience as hyped-up community development strategies to address the root causes of generational poverty and housing insecurity in the Mississippi Delta.
Recommended Citation
Jannat, Semonti, "Resilience Imagined in The Mississippi Delta: Exploring Housing, Education, and Community Adaptation in Mississippi’s Internal Colonies" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3300.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/3300