Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

An Oil Boom’s Effect on Quality of Life (QoL): Lessons from Western North Dakota

  • Published:
Applied Research in Quality of Life Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article presents a holistic framework to understand the effect of an oil boom on quality of life (QoL) in western North Dakota. Compared to quantitative QoL studies that focus on cities and urban QoL or studies that compare/contrast QoL between different communities, this descriptive and qualitative article focuses on the heterogeneous QoL perceptions among different stakeholder groups, within a community, in a rural setting, during a period of rapid social and economic transformation. The focus allows for a new way of looking at the significance of changes caused by oil development on QoL of stakeholders in a rural community, which provides a useful lens for studying QoL changes in many other rural communities currently experiencing unconventional oil/gas development in the USA. The framework presented captures the contextual determinants and indicators that constitute QoL in a rural context. The findings show that some significant impacts of the boom (both positive and negative) affect QoL of everyone in the community, while other impacts only affect certain stakeholder groups based on their positioning in the economic/income structure and level of exposure to local inflation. Implications of the findings on community planning and development on ways to improve QoL are presented and discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Oil boom: increase in oil drilling activity and the induced secondary and supporting economic activity in other sectors such as housing, infrastructure construction, and related services

  2. Economic shocks were defined as “events that have had a significant impact on local economies (P. 2).”

  3. Allison et al. (1997) also identify QoL as a dynamic phenomenon, where the construct is affected by such factors as adaptation, coping, expectations, and optimism, in which a person’s past and present events coupled with his ability to adjust, change, and his expectations about the future affect the construct of QoL.

  4. Additionally the study used the notion of social capital to denote relationships and interconnections. Social capital included residents bonds to others as well as residents bonds to local institutions including work (service and fraternal organizations, recreational groups, political and civic groups, job-related organizations, church-related groups, or other).

  5. Some of these QoL indices such as Physical Quality of Life Index (Morris 1979), Human Development Index (UNDP 1990), and Dasgupta and Weale (1992) are macro in nature and useful for comparison of QoL between countries and other large groups and not within the scope of this article.

  6. Cox et al. (1992) also recommends the use of context-specific scales in assessing QoL.

  7. Similarly, Sirgy et al. (2010) articulated a measure of community well-being based on the notion that community residents perceive QoL based on the conditions in various life domains (e.g., family, social, leisure, health, financial, cultural, consumer, work, spiritual, and environmental domains).

  8. The third question focuses on how people perceive risk, vulnerability, opportunities, social exclusion, crime, and conflict and how these perceptions change over time.

  9. But, all these studies focus on between-community comparisons.

  10. For a discussion of QoL in recreational-based rural areas, see Deller et al. (2001).

  11. Arbuckle and Kast (2012) contend that rural areas in Midwest and Great Plains have experienced long-term stagnation or decline in well-being (also punctuated by crises, e.g., the Farm Crisis of the 1980s), where processes of agricultural consolidation and restructuring and loss of manufacturing jobs have led to population loss and concomitant declines in ability to provide necessary services among municipalities.

  12. Gemeinschaft values and behavior prevail when social interaction occurs principally on the basis of traditionally of customary familial roles, long-standing obligation, and mutual trust. Comparatively, gesellschaft leads to complex impersonal patterns of social interaction and values that emerge with people’s interests protected formally by contract and law (Gold 1985).

  13. Face-to-face, personally familiar systems based upon sharing mutually valued activities over extended periods

  14. A field of social science and a component of the policy-making process. Social impact assessments (SIAs) are generally anticipatory efforts to project likely impacts before they occur, but empirical SIA work has looked at a broad range of social and cultural impacts. The purpose of SIA studies is to assess the impact of what a project is doing or might do in the future on the QoL in the community (Freudenburg 1986a, b).

  15. Social disruption theory states that communities experiencing rapid growth typically enter a period of generalized crisis and loss of traditional routines and attitudes (Park and Stokowski 2009).

  16. Other impacts on the environment are not within the scope of this article.

  17. As it disturbs the peace and quiet nature of the surroundings

  18. Rural people develop deep bonds toward their environment. During a study by Alter et al. (2010), participants expressed concern about the impacts on the landscape and, relatedly, their desire to live in the area. For many, the rural nature of these areas is the reason they live where they do, and they feared that energy development would permanently degrade the amenities and rural QoL they have come to appreciate (Alter et al. 2010).

  19. Half of the resident landowners in the counties together only control 1.1 % of the land area, and renters had no “voice” at all. Rather, it is the top 10 % of resident landowners, plus outside landowners (both public and private), who are able to make the major leasing decisions that affect the rest of the community. A little less than half (48.9 %) of the lease and royalty dollars in these counties will go to the top ten percent of local landowners, while 39.8 % will go to the public sector or non-resident landowners.

  20. Three of the four indicators of community satisfaction and social integration considered in Brown et al. (2005) either returned to or exceeded pre-boom baseline levels 20 to 24 years after the initial data collection point. As a result, Brown et al. (2005) propose a boom-bust-recovery cycle.

  21. Heiser, J.A. 2012. “Fed up with the oil boom way of life.” Williston Herald. Posed online: January 24, 2012.

  22. Murdock, A. 2011. “Rent prices keep families apart.” Williston Herald. Posted online: December 23, 2011.

  23. Rasmussen, J. 2011. “Service workers need to be able to make a living, and a home, in Williston.” Williston Herald. Posted online: September 9, 2011.

  24. Most people living in temporary housing represent transient workforce. Transient workers work on a schedule where they work for a few weeks and then go back to their home communities or families living elsewhere during days off and holidays. Therefore, these people are in western North Dakota for work and do not become engaged or integrated into the community fabric.

  25. Several participant comments are provided under each stakeholder group to describe the evaluations.

  26. Although other factors that represent individual-level differences such as marital status and health were expressed during the study, participants did not view them as major factors affecting perceptions of QoL and were not considered within the scope of analysis.

  27. Papageorgiou et al. (2005) used similar stakeholder groupings (land owners and rest of community) in a study of QoL and forest values in rural areas. Ren and Liburd (2012) used stakeholder groups to study QoL in a small island context. Zack (2013) developed stakeholder groups by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment in a study of health-related QoL. Therefore, contextual-based stakeholder groupings are not novel in studies of QoL.

  28. Factors or sequence of events that have caused increased cost of living including rent are discussed in detail in our other research work on socio-economic system of the boom.

  29. Workers who are in the community for a short period of time and move away or those workers who go back to their home communities during days off and holidays

  30. Four participants who worked in the oil industry were also landlords who owned rented apartments.

  31. Assumes a 40-h week worked the year round. Average hourly wage was $48.33. Source ND Labor Force Intelligence.

  32. City/county government workers, nurses, social service workers, teachers, law enforcement, emergency workers, maintenance workers, etc.

  33. Such as retail, dining, recreation, childcare, and other services

  34. Nine farmers out of the 18 farming and ranching participants of the study owned mineral rights or other lease rights and were included in the entrepreneurs and lease right owners cluster.

  35. Source: ND Labor Force Intelligence

  36. For a detailed discussion on reasons for increase in cost of living, please refer our research on socio-economic system of the oil boom.

  37. If they had benefitted from minerals or lease rights their perception of QoL might be different. This would be an interesting dimension to explore in a future study.

  38. Or housing being paid for or provided by employers

  39. All of the oil industry workers claimed that they received employer-provided housing and, as a result, they did not have to live in rented property.

  40. Participants of Anderson and Theodori (2009) also expressed similar sentiments.

  41. For a more detailed discussion on how lack of affordable housing affects the entire community, refer to our research work on socio-economic system of the oil boom.

  42. In this study, these were expressed in relation to environmental-based recreation and amenities such as hunting and camping. But, there could be issues on pollution, clean air, and water that must be addressed through a separate study.

References

  • Allison, P. J., Locker, D. & Feine, J. S. (1997). Quality of life: a dynamic construct. Social Science and Medicine, 45(2), 221–230.

  • Alter, T., Brasier, K., McLaughlin, D., and Willits, K.A. (2010). Baseline socioeconomic analysis for the Marcellus Shale Development in Pennsylvania. The Institute for Public Policy & Economic Development at Wilkes University.

  • Anderson, B. J., & Theodori, G. L. (2009). Local leaders’ perceptions of energy development in the Barnett Shale. Southern Rural Sociology, 24(1), 113–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arbuckle, J. G., & Kast, C. (2012). Quality of life on the agricultural treadmill: individual and community determinants of farm family well-being. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 27, 84–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Archbold, C. (2013). Policing the patch: an examination of the impact of the oil boom on small town policing and crime in western North Dakota. North Dakota State University

  • Bangsund, D. A. and Leistritz, F. L. (2011). Economic contribution of the petroleum industry to North Dakota. Agribusiness & Applied Economics Report 676S, North Dakota State University, Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics.

  • Besser, T. L., Recker, N., & Agnitsch, K. (2008). The impact of economic shocks on quality of life and social capital in small towns. Rural Sociology, 73(4), 580–604.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blomquist, G. C., Berger, M. C., & Hoehn, J. P. (1988). New estimates of quality of life in urban areas. The American Economic Review, 78(1), 89–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borooah, V. K., Dineen, D. A., & Lynch, N. (2011). Health, employment and the quality of life in Ireland. Irish Journal of Sociology, 19(2), 144–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brambilla, M. R., Michelangeli, A., & Peluso, E. (2011). Equity in the city: on measuring urban (ine)quality of life. Working Paper DISCE 0101.

  • Brasier, K. J., Filteau, M. R., McLaughlin, D. K., Jacquet, J., Stedman, R. C., & Kelsey, T. W. (2011). Residents’ perceptions of community and environmental impacts from development of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale: a comparison of Pennsylvania and New York cases. Journal of Social Sciences, 26(1), 32–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brasier, K.J., Davis, L., Glenna, L., Kelsey, T., McLaughlin, D., Schafft, K., Babbie, K., Biddle, C., Delessio-Parson, A., and Rhubart, D. (2014). The Marcellus Shale impacts study: chronicling social and economic change in north central and southwest Pennsylvania. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

  • Brown, T. (2011). The influence of rapid social change on civic community and perceptions of crime and disorder. International Journal of Rural Criminology, 1(1), 89–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, R.B., Hudspeth, C.D., and Stone, K.L. (2000). Social impacts of large scale economic development projects in the rural south: a longitudinal re-study of Vance, Alabama and the impacts of Mercedes Benz. Contractor Paper 00–09. TVA Rural Studies.

  • Brown, R. B., Dorius, S. F., & Krannich, R. S. (2005). The boom-bust-recovery cycle: dynamics of change in community satisfaction and social integration in Delta, Utah. Rural Sociology, 70(1), 28–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christopherson, S., & Rightor, N. (2012). How shale gas extraction affects drilling localities: lessons for regional and city policy makers. Journal of Town and City Management, 2(4), 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, D. R., Fitzpartick, R., Fletcher, A. E., & Gore, S. M. (1992). Quality-of-life assessment: can we keep it simple? Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A, 155(3), 353–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummins, R. A. (1997). Comprehensive quality of life scale: school version (5th ed.). Victoria, Australia: School of Psychology, Deakin University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dasgupta, P., & Weale, M. (1992). On measuring the quality of life. World Development, 20(1), 119–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deller, S. C., Tsai, T., Marcouiller, D. W., & English, D. B. (2001). The role of amenities and quality of life in rural economic growth. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 83, 352–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillman, D. A. (1979). Residential preferences, quality of life, and the population turnaround. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 61, 960–966.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillman, D. A., & Tremblay, K. R. (1977). The quality of life in rural America. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 429, 115–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Osta, H. S. (2007). The determinants of a quality of life indicator for farm operator households: application of zero-inflated count-data models. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 2(3), 145–163.

  • England, J. L., & Albrecht, S. L. (1984). Boomtowns and social disruption. Rural Sociology, 49, 230–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ennis, E., Finlayson, M., & Speering, G. (2013). Expecting a boomtown? exploring potential housing-related impacts of large scale resource developments in Darwin. Human Geographies, 7(1), 33–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epley, E., & Menon, M. (2008). A method of assembling cross-sectional indicators into a community quality of life. Social Indicators Research, 88, 281–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar, M. (1995). Elderly people’s definitions of quality of life. Social Science and Medicine, 41(10), 1439–1446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Felce, D., & Perry, J. (1995). Quality of life: its definition and measurement. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 16(1), 51–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flora, C. B. (1998). Quality of life versus standard of living. Rural Development News, 22(4), 1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford, A. (1977). Summary description of the Boom1 model. Dynamica, 4(1), 3–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freudenburg, W. R. (1981). Women and men in an energy boomtown: adjustment, alienation, adaptation. Rural Sociology, 46(2), 220–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freudenburg, W. R. (1984). Boomtown's youth: the differential impacts of rapid community growth on adolescents and adults. American Sociological Review, 49(5), 697–705.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freudenburg, W. R. (1986a). Social impact assessment. Annual Review of Sociology, 12, 451–478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freudenburg, W. R. (1986b). The density of acquaintanceship: an overlooked variable in community research? American Journal of Sociology, 92(1), 27–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freudenburg, W. R., & Gramling, R. (1992). Community impacts of technological change: toward a longitudinal perspective. Social Forces, 70(4), 937–955.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gabriel, S. A., Mattey, J. P., & Wascher, W. L. (2003). Compensating differentials and evolution in the quality-of-life among U.S. states. Regional Science and Urban Economics, 33, 619–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilmore, J. S. (1976). Boom towns may hinder energy resource development: isolated rural communities cannot handle sudden industrialization and growth without help. Science, 191(4227), 535–540.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilmore, J. S., & Duff, M. K. (1974). A growth management case study: Sweetwater County. Wyoming: Denver Research Inst. Univ. Denver, Denver, CO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gold, R. L. (1985). Ranching, mining, and the human impact of natural resource development. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez, E., Carcaba, A., Ventura, J., & Garcia, J. (2011). Measuring quality of life in Spanish municipalities. Local Government Studies, 37(2), 171–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gramling, B., & Brabant, S. (1986). Boomtowns and offshore energy impact assessment: the development of a comprehensive model. Sociological Perspectives, 29(2), 177–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, M. J., Hunt, G. L., Rickman, D. S., & Treyz, G. I. (1991). Migration, regional equilibrium, and the estimation of compensating differentials. The American Economic Review, 81(5), 1382–1390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagerty, M. R., Cummins, R. A., Ferriss, A. L., & Land, K. (2001). Quality of life indexes for national policy: review and agenda for research. Social Indicators Research, 55, 1–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacquet, J. B. (2011). Workforce development challenges in the natural gas industry. Working Paper Series for A Comprehensive Economic Impact Analysis of Natural Gas Extraction in the Marcellus Shale, Cornell University Department of City and Regional Planning.

  • Jacquet, J. B. (2012). Landowner attitudes toward natural gas and wind farm development in northern Pennsylvania. Energy Policy, 50, 677–688.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacquet, J. B. (2014). Review of risks to communities from shale energy development. Environmental, Science and Technology, 48, A-M.

  • Jobes, P. C. (1987). The disintegration of gemeinschaft social structure from energy development: observations from ranch communities in the Western United States. Journal of Rural Studies, 3, 219–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kasperson, R. E., & Kasperson, J. X. (1996). The Social Amplification and Attenuation of Risk. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Challenges in Risk Assessment and Risk Management, 545, 95–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keles, R. (2012). The quality of life and the environment. Social and Behavioral Sciences, 35, 23–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelsey, T.W., Metcalf, A., and Salcedo, R. (2012). Marcellus Shale: land ownership, local voice, and the distribution of lease and royalty dollars. Pennsylvania State Center for Economic and Community Development Research Paper Series

  • Kemp, A.J. (2008). Quality of life and the health care system in New River Valley, Virginia: residents‘ perceptions and experiences. Thesis (Ph.D.), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Education, Curriculum & Instruction.

  • Krannich, R. S., & Greider, T. (1984). Personal well-being in rapid growth and stable communities: multiple indicators and contrasting results. Rural Sociology, 49(4), 541–552.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krout, J. (1988). The elderly in rural environments. Journal of Rural Studies, 4, 103–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ladd, A. E. (2013). Stakeholder perceptions of socioenvironmental impacts from unconventional natural gas development and hydraulic fracturing in the Haynesville Shale. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 28(2), 56–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, Y. J. (2008). Subjective quality of life measurement in Taipei. Building and Environment, 43, 1205–1215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leitmann, J. (1999). Can city QOL indicators be objective and relevant? towards a participatory tool for sustaining urban development. Local Environment, 4(2), 169–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lovejoy, S. B., & Little, R. L. (1979). Energy development and local employment. The Social Science Journal, 16(2), 169–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lycoming County. (2012). The impacts of the Marcellus Shale industry on housing in Lycoming County. The Impact of Marcellus Shale in Lycoming County.

  • Maki, K.C. and Leistritz, F.L. (1981). Socioeconomic effects of large-scale resource development projects in rural areas: the case of McClean County. North Dakota. Department of Agricultural Economics. North Dakota State University.

  • Matarrita-Cascante, D. (2010). Changing communities, community satisfaction, and quality of life: a view of multiple perceived indicators. Social Indicators Research, 98, 105–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGranahan, D. A., & Beale, C. L. (2002). Understanding rural population loss. Rural American, 17, 2–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meader, N., Uzzell, D., & Gatersleben, B. (2006). Cultural theory and quality of life. Revue européenne de psychologie appliquée, 56, 61–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Measham, T. G., & Fleming, D. A. (2014). Impacts of unconventional gas development on rural community decline. Journal of Rural Studies, 36, 376–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michalos, A. C., Sirgy, M. J., & Estes, R. J. (2006). Introducing the Official Journal of the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies: Applied Research in Quality of Life (ARQOL). Applied Research in Quality of Life, 1, 1–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moen, E. (1986). Women: gemeinschaft in boomtowns. In P. E. Elkind-Savatsky (Ed.), Differential social impacts of rural resources development (pp. 161–183). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moons, P., Budts, W., & De Geest, S. (2006). Critique on the conceptualization of quality of life: a review and evaluation of different conceptual approaches. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 43, 891–901.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moro, M., Brereton, F., Fereira, S., & Clinch, J. P. (2008). Ranking quality of life using subjective well-being data. Ecological Economics, 65, 448–460.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris, M. D. (1979). Measuring the condition of the world’s poor: the physical quality of life index. New York: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murdock, S. H., & Leistritz, F. L. (1979). Energy development in the Western United States: impact on rural areas. New York: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Myers, D. (1988). Building knowledge about quality of life for urban planning. Journal of the American Planning Association, 54(3), 347–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Narayan, D., Chambers, R., Shah, M. K., & Petesch, P. (2000). Voices of the poor: crying out for change. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Papageorgiou, K., Kassioumis, K., Blioumis, V., & Christodoulou, A. (2005). Linking quality of life and forest values in rural areas: an exploratory study of stakeholder perspectives in the rural community of Konitsa, Greece. Forestry, 78(5), 485–499.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, M., & Stokowski, P. A. (2009). Social disruption theory and crime in rural communities: comparisons across three levels of tourism growth. Tourism Management, 30, 905–915.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perdue, R. R., Long, P. T., & Kang, Y. S. (1999). Boomtown tourism and resident quality of life: the marketing of gaming to host community residents. Journal of Business Research, 44, 165–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pink, S. (2008). Sense and sustainability: the case of the slow city movement. Local Environment, 13(2), 95–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman, T., Mittelhammer, R. C., & Wandschneider, P. R. (2011). Measuring quality of life across countries: a multiple indicators and multiple causes approach. The Journal of Socio-Economics, 40, 43–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Recker, N.L. (2009). Resilience in small towns: an analysis of economic shocks, social capital, and quality of life. Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Paper 10983.

  • Ren, C., & Liburd, J. J. (2012). Stakeholders, high stakes and high tides: quality of life in a small island festival context. In K. F. Hyde, C. Ryan, & A. G. Woodside (Eds.), Field guide to case study research in tourism, hospitality and leisure (advances in culture, tourism and hospitality research, volume 6) (pp. 439–455). Bradford, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, R. R., Jr., Wilkinson, K. P., Thompson, J. G., & Ostresh, L. M. (1982). Problems in the social impact assessment literature base for western energy development communities. Impact Assessment, 1(4), 44–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rice, R. W., McFarlin, D. B., Hunt, R. G., & Near, J. P. (1985). Organizational work and the perceived quality of life: toward a conceptual model. The Academy of Management Review, 10(2), 296–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richmond, L., Filson, G. C., Paine, C., Pfeiffer, W. C., & Taylor, J. R. (2000). Non-farm rural Ontario residents’ perceived quality of life. Social Indicators Research, 50(2), 159–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roback, J. (1982). Wages, rents, and the quality of life. The Journal of Political Economy, 90(6), 1257–1278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogerson, R. J. (1999). Quality of life and city competitiveness. Urban Studies, 36(5–6), 969–985.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosen, S. (1979). Wage-based indexes of urban quality of life. In P. Mieszkowski & M. Strazheim (Eds.), Current issues in urban economics (pp. 74–104). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruddell, R. (2011). Boomtown policing: responding to the dark side of resource development. Policing, 5(4), 328–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruddell, R. and Ortiz, N. R., (2014). Boomtown blues: long-term community perceptions of crime and disorder. American Journal of Criminal Justice. Advance online publication.

  • Rudzitis, G. (1999). Amenities increasingly draw people to the rural west. Rural Development Perspectives, 14, 9–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rundquist, B. C., Hanson, D. A., Wang, E., & Brunn, S. D. (2012). Perceptions of the recent oil boom among long-term residents of Williston, Stanley, and Watford City. North Dakota: University of North Dakota.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryser, L., & Halseth, G. (2011). Housing costs in an oil and gas boom town: issues for low-income senior women living alone. Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 25(3), 306–325.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schafft, K. A., Glenna, L. L., Green, B., & Borlu, Y. (2014). Local impacts of unconventional gas development within pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale region: gauging boomtown development through the perspectives of educational administrators. Society and Natural Resources, 27(4), 389–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sirgy, M. J., Widgery, R. N., Lee, D. J., & Yu, G. B. (2010). Developing a measure of community well-being based on perceptions of impact in various life domains. Social Indicators Research, 96, 295–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swain, D., & Hollar, D. (2003). Measuring progress: community indicators and the quality of life. International Journal of Public Administration, 26(7), 789–814.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • The WHOQOL group. (1998). The World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment: development and general psychometric properties. Social Science and Medicine, 46(12), 1569–1585.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNDP. (1990). Human development report. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, J. and Kolb, B. (2011). Marcellus natural gas development’s effect on housing in Pennsylvania. Center for the Study of Community and the Economy.

  • Winters, J.V. (2012). Differences in quality of life estimates using rents and home values. Discussion Paper No. 6703. The Institute for the Study of Labor.

  • Zack, M. M. (2013). Health-related quality of life—United States, 2006 and 2010. Supplements, 62(03), 105–111.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by a grant from the North Dakota Humanities council. Additionally, the authors thank Dr. Kris Ringwall, the Director of the NDSU Dickinson Extension Research Center, for logistics and other support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Resources Management, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA

    Felix N. Fernando

  2. Department of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies, North Dakota State University, 422 Minard Hall, Dept. 2340, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND, 58108-6050, USA

    Felix N. Fernando & Dennis R. Cooley

Authors
  1. Felix N. Fernando
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dennis R. Cooley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Felix N. Fernando.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Fernando, F.N., Cooley, D.R. An Oil Boom’s Effect on Quality of Life (QoL): Lessons from Western North Dakota. Applied Research Quality Life 11, 1083–1115 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-015-9422-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-015-9422-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation