UNDERSTANDING SENSE OF PLACE IN PENNSYLVANIA’S MARCELLUS SHALE

Open Access
- Author:
- Suchyta, Mark Edward
- Graduate Program:
- Rural Sociology
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- October 31, 2016
- Committee Members:
- Kathryn J. Brasier, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Diane K. McLaughlin, Committee Member
Shannon M. Monnat, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Marcellus Shale
Sense of Place
Community Development
Natural Resources
Environmental Attitudes - Abstract:
- Social scientists have demonstrated that attitudes toward energy development are influenced by demographic, psychological, and contextual factors. A factor that has gained increasing attention is sense of place, which refers to the meanings, attachments, and attitudes individuals hold toward particular settings. This study employs a survey-based psychometric approach to examine the relationship between sense of place and local attitudes toward the development of one of the U.S.’s largest natural gas reservoirs, the Marcellus Shale. It draws data from a survey of Pennsylvania residents living across four counties that have experienced rapid unconventional natural gas development. Sense of place is measured using three scales corresponding to its distinct components identified in the literature: place meanings, place attachment, and place satisfaction. Findings demonstrate sense of place, particularly place satisfaction, is significantly associated with attitudes toward Marcellus Shale development, but these relationships vary depending on whether the attitudes are oriented toward respondents’ local environment, community, or economy. Implications and avenues for further research are discussed.