In the Shadow of the Mountain: A Socio-Historical Case Study on Rapid Population Growth in Two Neighboring Population Centers in the Western United States

Michael R. Cope, Scott R. Sanders, Carol Ward, Kirk D. Young and Haylie M. June
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Michael R. Cope: Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Scott R. Sanders: Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Carol Ward: Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Kirk D. Young: Administration, Jamestown Community College, New York, NY 14701, USA
Haylie M. June: Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA

Societies, 2021, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: US Census population estimates show that every state in the Western US reported significant population growth increases over the past two decades. Furthermore, Western population growth represents one of the largest and most significant US demographic trends in recent decades. For many Western US communities, this increase in population growth has resulted in significant changes to its residents’ day-to-day lived experience. Dramatic population growth can change the types of services available, economic opportunities, and perceived satisfaction of communities. This change in the lived experience of a community is perhaps most pronounced when small rural communities undergo a rapid increase in population size. To that end, we present a socio-historical narrative case study examining how population growth-historical and contemporary-has shaped residents’ lived experience in two neighboring population centers in the modern rural West: Utah’s Heber Valley and Park City, Utah.

Keywords: community; population change; socio-narratology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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