Social Impacts of Shale Oil Extraction: A Multidisciplinary Review of Community and Institutional Change

Hannah Z. Hendricks, Elizabeth Long-Meek, Haylie M. June, Ashley R. Kernan and Michael R. Cope ()
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Hannah Z. Hendricks: Sociology Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Elizabeth Long-Meek: Sociology Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Haylie M. June: Sociology Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Ashley R. Kernan: Sociology Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Michael R. Cope: Sociology Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-23

Abstract: The global expansion of shale oil and gas extraction has generated widespread attention for its environmental, economic, and political implications. However, its social consequences remain less systematically assessed. This review synthesizes interdisciplinary research on how shale energy development affects communities, particularly in rural and resource-dependent regions. While extraction activities may generate economic opportunities and strengthen national energy security, they are also associated with population influx, pressure on infrastructure, housing shortages, public health risks, and increased political polarization. These impacts can alter social relationships, institutional trust, and access to essential services. By organizing and analyzing key themes in the social science literature, this review offers a structured overview of how shale energy development shapes local experiences and social systems. The goal of the present paper is to support researchers, policymakers, and community stakeholders in understanding the civic, communal, and public dimensions of energy transitions and in developing more equitable and sustainable policy responses.

Keywords: fracking; hydraulic fracturing; shale oil extraction; social impacts; socio-economic impacts; community change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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