Frontline: Two American Families

This blog is primarily about the Appalachian experience as it relates to my work on So Far Appalachia: An American mythology as told by the Bakers of Beckinghamshire.

If I do my job well, though, that story will touch on larger American themes.

While I haven’t had the chance to watch this Frontline piece yet, it’s now in my queue. In many respects “Two American Families” seems to be the American version of the British Up series.

The Up Series began following a handful of young kids when they were 7, revising their lives each 7 years (56 Up was just released) in order to explore issues of class within the England.

Two American Families has followed 2 lower-middle class families for 22 years as they cope with the changing economics.

Watch Two American Families on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.