Attitudes toward shale oil development in western North Dakota: The role of place based community values in attitude formation

This article also explicates the interconnections between the place based community values and three of the most frequently researched place conceptions: sense of place, attachment to place, and dependence on place. The findings clearly provide qualitative evidence to show that attitudes emerge on the basis of one's perceived expectations or evaluations about how development affects the particular things that people value. Implications of community values and attitudes on planning and decision making are discussed. Findings of this article suggest three implications for shaping community strategies to handle community impacts of shale oil development: (1) improve feeling of safety and security through investment in public services; (2) establish and enhance social support groups; and (3) enhance sense of unity and togetherness through better community integration strategies.