ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book is about the waxing and waning of the Gemeinschaft style and quality of life, particularly in communities which are in the throes of being industrialized. For the most part, it examines the experiences with coal development projects of rural America's Western people, illustrated by those residing in and around the tiny, isolated, ranching community of "Sagebrush." The book shows what has been happening to the values of Sagebrush residents and to other aspects of their way of life when confronted by the forces of rapid growth and change associated with an industrial project. Having utilized ethnographic methods to gain the intimate knowledge of this community needed to perceive and understand its values, it provides a fresh perspective on what Gemeinschaft is, how it works, and how it interrelates with Gesellschaft.
