Rural restructuring: community stakeholders’ perspectives of the impact of a pulp and paper mill closure on community relationships

Abstract

This article explores how rural community leaders perceived changes to community and family relationships as a result of a pulp and paper mill closure in a rural community in Central Canada. Through the application of a social ecological model, this study explores how intrapersonal and interpersonal factors influence rural community life in the context of a pulp and paper mill closure. The findings from interviews with 10 community leaders showed the mill's closure created long-distance commuting scenarios that diminished various community social relationships and family unit interactions and relationships. This article makes a novel contribution to the literature by demonstrating the changes to rural community and family life faced as a result of a pulp and paper mill closure, emphasizing the challenges to these communities in the context of community change.

Keywords:

• interpersonal relationships
• restructuring
• rural community
• social ecological theory
• family

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.