Abstract

Research into community resilience reflects an ongoing interest in defining how some single industry communities survive an economic crisis while others do not. Studies have linked high levels of social capital in communities to the creation of positive socio-economic outcomes, but few have sought to understand the development of localized social systems and structures following an economic crisis. In this context, there is a need to investigate the relationship between coping strategies, community identity and social capital in the foundation of social structures and systems in response to change. The closure of two major textile mills in the rural town of Huntingdon, Quebec presented an opportunity to study a community's initial reactions, coping facilities and strategies as they developed over the course of a year. The 'developing crisis' in Huntingdon served as a useful entry point for exploring the strengths and weaknesses of the underlying social infrastructure of the community. Three analytical themes; (1) individual and community level coping strategies, (2) local identity formation, and (3) the proliferation of social networks, were extracted from the social capital literature and were explored within the context of socio-economic change and community development in Huntingdon. From these observations, a series of suggestions are put forward which provide insight into accessing stores of social capital and increasing community cohesiveness to improve possible outcomes for single industry towns faced with a similar loss of a major employer in the future.