Hello! Welcome. My name is Missy Maceyko, and I’m working on some research about life in my hometown of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania.
Mount Pleasant is the starting point, but this research also includes surrounding areas.
If you or someone you know has lived in, spent time in, or visited Mount Pleasant—or anywhere in southwestern Pennsylvania—during the past 50 years, I’d love to hear your story.
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Who exactly are you? Will my participation be anonymous? How will my information be used?
Suspicious Squirrel
Me
Or maybe you, like this fine squirrel, you are not sure you can totally trust me. Which is fair.
You may be thinking about participating, but you may have questions or want more information.
As part of this research, I am very interested in the topic of politics (past, present, and future), so I want to make sure that you feel comfortable.
Who are you?
What are you studying?
Politics? Now? Why?
I grew up in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania and graduated from Mount Pleasant Area High School (MPAHS) in 2000. I then went to Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. I graduated from Allegheny in 2004. Most of my family still lives and works in Pennsylvania, largely in the Mount Pleasant area. I am now a professor (Political Science, Anthropology) in California.
I am currently writing a book about Mount Pleasant and the surrounding communities in southwestern Pennsylvania. It focuses on the history of the town/region, the changing economy, how people support each other and local institutions (like the fire department), and the way that people think and talk about government, local leaders, and politics. I also look at how that has changed, and not changed, over time. I want to know how different people who live in town (and have lived in town) think and feel about living, working, and being there. Politics, economics, and government is one part of that story. Taking a closer look at the ways that politics connects to many parts of our life in western PA can, hopefully, help us all think about politics in a different way.
I got involved in this book project because I haven’t been happy with most of the popular books I encounter about contemporary politics, especially those written by academic researchers. Why? They tend to overlook the ways that we live, work, and exist together in spite of our political differences. They also portray communities like Mount Pleasant in ways that feel very one-sided and very condescending.
I am trying to do something that is different—and hopefully a bit more representative. I look at politics through the stories and histories of the people and places that have shaped my life. I talk about the many different positions and affiliations that people have/hold. I talk about political similarities alongside differences in the current political climate, emphasizing the things that people tend to agree on, even when they don’t realize it, and the ways people continue to support each other, even in moments when they seem very divided.
Frequently Asked Questions
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If you respond to the survey online, it will take 5-7 minutes.
If you sit down for a talk with me, in-person or online, it will take a minimum of 40 minutes.
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Yes. Unless you say otherwise, everything is anonymous. And everything I write will eliminate any identifying information.
I will not share your information, either. I will protect against data leaks by storing any information collected in this study in a secure location. And you can reach out to me at any time if you have second thoughts and want to remove your responses from this study.
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I will use your information to help complete a book. See the previous section for more information about the book project.
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You can fill out the contact form below or email me at author.missy.maceyko@gmail.com.