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Last Updated: 14th June 2023
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Social and Economical Impacts of Mining
Keywords
Social, economy, impacts, mining, jobs, unemployment, mental health, depression, strikes, low pay, industry, thrive, infrastructure, community.
Introduction
If you don't know already, parts of the UK were open to mining, especially in the Midlands and up in Northern parts of England (Wales too). But then the mines closed. Some of them closed due to being finished, or they closed as it was deemed too costly to keep them open.
But what happens during and after a mine has closed in terms of social and economical impact?
Social Aspect
From a social point of view, when a mine opens, it's great. There are plenty of jobs about for going down in a mine, and along with everyone in the area, you get to have a solid job for the next 5-10 years, depending on the length of time it takes to mine the area.
You are able to associate with other people who have similar trends in their life to you, as they have the same job as you do. But what happens when they close that mine, and the jobs for mining dry up. You've spent the best part of 10 years (or more) down a mine shaft, and for what?
Socially, this could mean there is widespread depression amongst people who have previously worked in the mines. This can be for a number of reasons, like the lack of employment in the area for that type of position, or a lack of money, as you are out of work.
If you have no money, then you can't do any activities, which then leads to other things such as depression.
Interesting fact: mines have had a rough past, with miners in the UK constantly striking due to poor conditions, and low pay. While the economy was boosted, it was not very feasible for a miner to work the long hours they did for the money they got.
Economic Aspect
From a viewpoint of economy, opening a mine is a great idea. Here's why:
- It brings in employment, both for the mine itself, and the surrounding businesses
- It helps bring the economy of the area and the nation up
- It enables other areas of industry to thrive, through the mining of valuable materials
- It can help infrastructure, providing healthcare and water and sanitation facilities
- It helps communities come together
But what happens when all this disappears? Well, the opposite really. All that money that was there, disappears. It goes away. So, is a mine a good thing or a bad thing? When you weigh up all the pros and cons of a mine, sometimes the bad that comes with them is outweighed by the good.
Here is a YouTube video from Skells on the impacts of mining socially and economically:
