Geography
Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
First Advisor
David J. Wishart
Date of this Version
3-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Citation
A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Major: Geography
Under the supervision of Professor David J. Wishart
Lincoln, Nebraska, March 2020
Abstract
After beginning with an introduction to rural population trends and population sustainability in rural towns, this dissertation gives an overview of population change in rural Nebraska towns between 1950 and 2010. Following a series of maps depicting the changes in rural Nebraska towns between these two censuses, six case studies are used to explore the growth of individual towns. A discussion on the characteristics of growing rural towns in Nebraska follows these case studies.
The dissertation then continues by discussing statewide rural residential decision making and place attachment based on data collected by the Nebraska Roots Migration Survey. Following a comparison of the results from urban and rural survey respondents, the content switches to a focus on rural Nebraskans who have stayed in, or moved back to, the state’s rural towns, and discusses differences in residential decision making and place attachment between different genders and age groups.
Advisor: David J. Wishart
Comments
Copyright 2020, Andrew Husa. Used by permission