The New West, located in the interior West of the United States and includes the states of Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, is experiencing a large and growing population of internal migrants. This dissertation utilized data from the United States Bureau of the Census‘ County and City Data Book: 2007 and other sources to analyze migration patterns at the structural-contextual level and the individual-level in the New West. At the structural-contextual level, ordinary least squares regression equations were estimated to predict a series of relationships between ecological factors and net migration rates for nonmetropolitan counties. Focus was placed on variables pertaining to amenity-based characteristics and sustenance organization in order to predict net migration rates. Findings suggest that areas with flourishing sustenance producing activities and more amenity-based characteristics are experiencing higher levels of in-migration. At the individual-level, multinomial logit equations were estimated for a sample of residents living in the state of Nevada based on age, educational background, sex, marital status, and racial/ethnic identification to predict the likelihood of an individual having engaged in an interstate migration into the state of Nevada. Individuals having recently migrated to Nevada were found to be older, having obtained higher levels of education, and of Hispanic or Asian descent. These findings confirm that both structural-contextual level and individual-level predictors are essential in the understanding the patterns of migration occurring in the New West.

The purpose of this paper is to test the hypothesis that economies of scale exist in the provision of government services in nonmetropolitan Utah counties. Financial data from the counties was analyzed using statistical methods. Total expenditures, general government, public safety, public works, libraries, health and welfare, parks and recreation, and toads are examined.

<p>This research examines the economic well-being of nonmetropolitan low-income households through an analysis of their objective economic outcomes and subjective experiences of poverty. Despite a large body of scholarship aimed at urban poverty, comparatively little research examines economic hardship among impoverished nonmetropolitan families. This research contributes to existing work through an analysis of nonmetropolitan low-income households' employment experiences and short-term economic trajectories. Additionally, this research uses fine-grained longitudinal data to address how families subjectively experience poverty and economic im/mobility. The analyses use ethnographic data from a sample of households (n=71) in the Family Life Project, a multi-method, longitudinal study conducted in six counties within Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The analyses reveal that families across these two regions experience a high level of constraint with respect to their employment choices and economic mobility outcomes. The analyses also present alternative metrics for job quality and job satisfaction which explicitly include criteria from the perspectives of low-wage nonmetropolitan workers. Most households experience little or no upward economic mobility throughout their participation in the study, and family members express conservative expectations for their long-term economic well-being. The study concludes with suggestions for continued research in the nonmetropolitan U.S. This work contributes to existing scholarship in the areas of economic mobility, work and poverty. These analyses reveal scholarly assessments of work, poverty and the decisions of economic actors can be improved through the inclusion of subjective household perspectives. Additionally, these analyses should motivate scholars to reevaluate the effectiveness of employment for promoting upward economic mobility, especially among contemporary nonmetropolitan low-income households.</p> / Dissertation

The rural brain drain, an event wherein a rural locale's educated youth out-migrates, is speculated to be the root cause of nonmetropolitan human capital exhaustion. This study promotes the speculation that community colleges hold promise in reversing the brain drain, as they are primed to elevate the human capital level of stayers while offering programs of interest through which job opportunities may be made available to those who choose to leave. This study was developed to ascertain whether any differences existed in stayers' and leavers' perceptions of several community college facets, such as perceived learning gains, initial impressions, student-institution bond, institutional fit, and intent to leave. A quantitative study was designed, and independent t-tests were utilized in order to test whether any significant differences existed between the populations of “would-be-stayers” and “would-be-leavers.” A web-based survey entitled the Student Community College Perception Instrument was emailed to all currently- enrolled students at a single, rural community college in the Southeastern United States. Responses were collected from 310 students who were enrolled full-time. Roughly 79% of students who participated in the study lived in one of the counties within the community college district; of these, approximately 57% chose that they planned on leaving the area, whilst 43% indicated they planned to stay. Of the remaining participants, 65% planned to leave the area in which they currently resided (outside of the college district), while 35% who did not live in the district were planning to stay. All 4 of these groups rated 32 statements concerning their perceptions of the community college. Significant differences were found between the leavers and stayers, as the stayers were less likely than leavers to transfer or withdraw from the college within 6 months, more positively perceived that the college offered academic programs they were interested in, and that the college was assisting them in developing more self-confidence and helping to make them aware of diversity issues, while preparing them to be future leaders. Overall, the stayers had more positive perceptions concerning their initial impressions of the college, their institutional fit, the student-community college bond, and their perceived learning goals.

This study compares the perceptions of long-term residents in rapidly and moderately growing nonmetropolitan communities regarding the effect of newcomers on the community. Data for the study came from a 1975 survey of 1,065 adults in seven Utah communities. Results show that a significantly larger proportion of long-term residents in rapidly growing communities than in moderately growing communities feel that newcomers are having a bad effect on the community. The relationship between perceived effect of newcomers and various personal attributes are examined with rate of population growth as a control variable. The attributes are: 1) length of residence, 2) age, 3) sex, 4) religious preference, 5) income, 6) proportion family living nearby, and 7) proportion of friends living in the community. Brief attention was given to examining newcomers' perception of the effect newcomers are having on the community with the use of length of residence variable. The differences between the long-term and short-term residents were not statistically significantly different. But because of theoretical and practical consideration the remainder of the analysis focused on the attitude of long-term residents. None of the differences between the subgrouping for the respective attributes were statistically significant in both moderate and rapidly growing communities. In rapidly growing communities only one hypothesis was supported with respect to the differences in attitude towards newcomers. The supported hypothesis was that Mormons would be more likely to perceive the effect of newcomers as being bad than would non-Mormons. within the moderately growing communities, statistically significant differences were found between income groups, but they were not in the direction of the hypothesis. Perhaps the most important evidence that rate of population growth influences the long-term residents' perception of newcomers is that, except for non-Mormons, the percentage feeling that the effect of newcomers was bad was highest in rapidly growing communities. This indicates that the pressures associated with rapid growth are generally perceived across a wide variety of subgroups. The particular exception, the non-Mormons, suggests that in particular cases a subgroup might perceive the changes as beneficial and to view the overall process of growth , including the newcomers, more positively.

The primary purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of the rural teachers preparation program in specific curriculum components, field experience and training, and preparation. A secondary purpose is to determine the need for these components and a limited evaluation of other delivery systems for rural teaching in eight nonmetropolitan teachers colleges in Northeast Thailand. The questionnaire of the Rural Education Association (REA) developed by Barbara Jean Jones was employed to collect data from a random sampling of 352 teachers college instructors and administrators and randomly selected 352 elementary school teachers and administrators. Analysis of data from 508 respondents, were analyzed by using the descriptive statistic and t-test, revealed that: (a) the REA model components were available and are essential for teachers preparation program at Thai teachers colleges in the Northeast, (b) public relations and educational technology including computer literacy components should be developed to meet the public need, (c) teachers college faculty members should receive special training for preparing students to teach in a rural environment, (d) teachers colleges should provide a teacher training site in the provinces, (e) teaching in a rural and an urban environment are significantly different, and (f) there is a need for a special preservice training for teaching in a rural environment.

Three major socio-demographic aspects of community life were examined in nonmetropolitan Utah within the context of the post 1970's population turnaround. They are: differentials by migrant status and housing type, patterns of community satisfaction, and migration expectations and migration. Findings indicate that groups of residents with different migrant status and/or housing type have unique patterns in socio-economic status, social integration and community attachment, and potential contributions to the community. It was argued that these phenomena can be largely explained by the exchange theory. With respect to the pattern of community satisfaction, it was found that the mobile home dwellers' level of satisfaction is mainly affected by their assessment of the interpersonal relations and the local government of their residence community whereas the conventional-home residents' level of satisfaction is affected by multiple sources: interpersonal relations, community facilities and services, community physical appearance and local government. The major difference between the recent migrants and the established residents was properly reflected by the findings that community physical appearance is a significant cause of satisfaction among the former versus community facilities and services among the latter. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the processes of the rural revival. Migration intention was found to be less constrained by the respondents' background characteristics and even the objective community conditions. However, when intention is transformed into action, the respondents' ability and flexibility to move, their social and economic bonds, and the objective conditions of the community, all come into effect. Housing type was also found to be interacting with migration intention in influencing migration.

As a result of the 2008-2010 economic crisis as well as continuing efforts to redevelop and revitalize local economies, public administrators across America are challenged with the task of developing methods to sustain their economies. According to Florida (2002) economic growth today is contingent upon a locality’s ability to attract a certain group of people, particularly those of the “creative class”. Furthermore, Florida et al., (2006), assert that universities are key contributors to regional development in their ability to attract creative class individuals into a community. Contrary to the assertion that the creative class is a prerequisite for economic growth, researchers argue that additional economic development theories should be examined in comparison to the creative class theory. This study examines the creative class, human capital, social capital, and the institutional intellectual capital theories to determine which is the best predictor for economic growth in nonmetropolitan areas. This study also presents an additional theoretical framework, the community capital approach to provide a multi-dimensional examination of the quality of life and demographic factors that can aid local public administrators in understanding what impacts the economic growth and development of communities. To assess this relationship, a multivariate regression analysis; specifically ordinary least squares regression is used to determine the strength of factors that influence the measurements of economic development. The findings for the creative class theory provide marginal support for the assertion that the presence of the creative class leads to more economic growth. There is also marginal support for the human capital, social capital, and the institutional intellectual capital theories as predictors of economic growth in nonmetropolitan areas. This research suggests that there are two paths that can be pursued by local public administrators to improve their economies. First, local public administrators with access to higher education institutions should focus their efforts on educating their workforce. Secondly, local public administrators from communities not equipped with higher education institutions should direct their strategies towards the community capital approach by creating more green space for parks and trails since these factors can be easily enhanced.

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