Introduction

This book brings together a collection of case studies form Canada, Australia, and three Scandinavian countries - Finland, Sweden, and Norway. These case studies deal with one or more communities dependent upon a mine which, at the time of the study, had closed down, or was in the process of downsizing as part of either winding-down preparatory to closure, or rationalising and restructuring to improve efficiency. The similarities between mining settlements - regardless of their socio-cultural context, the type of product mined, or the stage of their economic development - have often been commented upon (Bulmer 1975L 61). A number of such similarities become readily apparent in the chapters below. However, the chapters also show a number of differences in such communities. The emphasis throughout the book is on highlighting the differences that influence the way communities affected by a substantial reduction in employment in mining over a short period of time are likely to respond. The purpose of bringing together the case studies is twofold. The first aim is to develop some understanding of those factors that influence the way those affected respond to mine closure or downsizing. The second aim is to examine the relative success of different attempts to resolve the problems generated by these processes in different types of situations, and, on the basis of this analysis make policy recommendations apprropriate to the different social, geographical, and economic contexts in which major reductions in the number employed in mining are, in the long term, inevitable.