This lecture examines how major global events like the Olympic Games shape local communities long after the spotlight fades. Focusing on Heber Valley, Utah, this work explores how residents’ attachment to place and satisfaction with community change were impacted by hosting the Olympic Games. Drawing on community survey data over time, the talk highlights how perceptions of growth, identity, and regional relationships evolve, and what this reveals about social change in rural communities asked to host the world.
Michael Cope is a leading community sociologist, former Executive Director of the Rural Sociological Society, and former Associate Editor of Rural Sociology. An expert on community development, disasters, and social change, his research spans events from the BP oil spill to global mega-events.
Part of our winter 2026 lecture series, "Sport and Society."