Opportunity, Ambivalence, and the Purpose of Schooling in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale Region

• In Event: Contemporary Issues and Transformations in Rural Resource Communities

Abstract

In the last five years unconventional natural gas extraction from the Marcellus Shale formation has transformed many Pennsylvania communities, often in rural, economically lagging areas. In this paper we examine the perspectives of youth and educators on community change, and curricular responses to shale gas development. We find that K-12 curricular decision-making and rural youth career and educational aspirations are characterized by a sometimes deep ambivalence about the gas industry, its longevity, its capacity to provide desirable employment, and its ultimate effects on the social sustainability of Pennsylvania communities. This ambivalence raises deeper practical, pedagogical and ethical questions about the purpose of education and the relationship between the well-being of rural schools and the communities they serve.

Authors

• Kai A. Schafft, The Pennsylvania State University

• Catharine Biddle, The Pennsylvania State University