Mining communities, particularly those entirely dependent on mineral resources, are especially vulnerable to economic downturn due to the nonrenewable nature of the industry and reliance on external market factors. For residents who live in mining towns and have strong ties to the industry, the loss of major employment deals a particularly devastating blow. Research has shown that mining creates a particular sense of identity and community, which persists long after the resource is exhausted. Although much research has been conducted on how communities adapt to and cope with closure, little is known about the role that identity and sense of community play in this process. Around the world, mining developments bring significant prosperity to communities, regions, and countries with several actors depending on the industry for economic stability. Without an understanding of the many ways mining communities adapt to closure, we are unable to use this knowledge to help resource-dependent regions persevere through eras of economic bust and resource-based turbulence.
Author and article information
Contributors
Skeard Janelle:
Bio
:
Janelle Skeard holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Memorial University and is a Grants Facilitation
Officer with Memorial’s Faculty of Medicine in St. John’s, NL. She has been involved
in a number of projects related to regional governance, rural planning, regional socio-economic
development and natural resource governance, and maintains a keen interest in community-based
research and primary industry development and management in Newfoundland and Labrador.