The article that I found for this Research Example focuses on two of my categories of challenges that American farmers and ranchers face today – changing demands of consumers and economic influences.  While the article focuses on an entire rural community, there is some mention of the ranches that formally comprised most of the town. In the online records of Rural Sociology, I found an article that had yet to be included in any printed volume of the journal. The article, “’Not Allowed to Inherit My Kingdom’: Amenity Development and Social Inequality in the Rural West” by Jennifer Sherman outlines the changing social scene in the rural town of Paradise Valley, Washington. Originally and lumber and ranching town, the area has become a hotspot for tourists, second home owners, and outdoor recreation. Sherman focuses on how the locals have had to adapt to a changing social scene as their rural home has been influenced by a changing economy and the changing demands of tourists.

Sherman utilized ethnography and descriptive research as she studied those in Paradise Valley for 10 months, conducting 84 in-depth interviews during that time. She obtained her sample through advertisement, gift card incentives, and snowball sampling. She wanted to be sure to interview individuals from all backgrounds but wanted to focus mostly on locals and those from lower economic status. Her goal was to understand how the influx of tourists has changed the rural community. She asked questions about all aspects of the interviewees personal lives and conducted the interviews in their homes or in local parks, cafes, or restaurants. After conducting her interviews, Sherman utilized the software NVivo to analyze and code her transcriptions.  She coded the interviews for various themes that came up consistently across different interviews.

Sherman found that the increase of seasonal tourists played a troubling role in the lives of locals. Those who had originally owned ranches and made a living through forest services and other outdoor professions began losing their lands as they were dedicate to tourist attractions and activities. The local economic scene changed from small, family owned businesses to large chains and tourist-based corporations. The social dynamics changed as well as the rich, urban, tourists began to outnumber the original local, close-knit community. The influx of outsiders raised the price of homes and land and began to drive out those who were living in Paradise Valley for several generations. There has been an increase in jobs, but only seasonal ones which do not provide substantial income during the low-tourist seasons. This article provided a look inside how the tourist businesses can negatively affect local farmers and ranchers. It was an example of the economic and social challenges these people face.

Sherman, Jennifer. 2017. “’Not Allowed to Inherit My Kingdom’: Amenity Development and
Social Inequality in the Rural West.” Rural Sociology(Online). Retrieved March 19, 2018. https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.redlands.edu/doi/full/10.1111/ruso.12168