Canadian Forest Service Publications
Resource dependence and community well-being in rural Canada. 2004. Stedman, R.C.; Parkins, J.R.; Beckley, T.M. Rural Sociology 69(2): 213-234.
Year: 2004
Issued by: Northern Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 24661
Language: English
Availability: Order paper copy (free), PDF (request by e-mail)
Abstract
The well-being of residents of resource dependent communities is a question of traditional interest to rural sociologists. "resource dependent" obscures how this relationship may vary between particular resource industries, regions, or indicators of well-being. Few analyses have compared the relationship between well-being and resource dependence across different industries, nor tested competing theories about the relationship between resource dependence and well-being. Our paper presents an overview of the relationship between resource dependence - agriculture, fisheries, mining, energy, forestry - and human well-being in Canada. Analysis of 1996 Statistics Canada data revealed a great deal of variation in the effect of "resource" dependence on indicators of well-being (e.g., human capital, unemployment, income): some industries exhibit fairly positive outcomes (e.g., agriculture), others more negative outcomes (e.g., fishing). Consistent with analyses conducted in the United States, these relationships vary by region, suggesting the need for models that incorporate the particulars of place and industry.