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Three Iron Mining Towns: A Study in Cultural Change

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 06:00 CDT

Three Iron Mining Towns: A Study in Cultural Change, by Paul H. Landis. Middleton, WI: Social Ecology Press. 1997. 145 pages. $15.00 (paperback). ISBN: 0-941042-19-7

Three Iron Mining Towns: A Study in Cultural Change, first published in 1938 and reissued by Social Ecology Press, is an analysis of the interdependence between society and the natural environment. In his now classic text, Landis traced the social and economic development of three Minnesota mining settlements (Virginia, Hibbing, Eveleth) through their formation and growth years, into their maturity, and through their decline during the early 190Os. Such growth and decline resulted largely because of their broad dependence on local natural resource supplies as a means of economic viability. In exploring the social and economic conditions in these locations, Landis provides a detailed and well- written framework for investigating the interaction between society and the natural environment. The author also provides a particularly strong example of case study research and supplies a methodology for other researchers. The text remains relevant as a landmark sociological study and as a guide for current and future research.

Landis structured this study around the primary goal of presenting an analysis of "shifting social interaction patterns which characterize a community, as its group composition is modified during its normal growth to maturity" (preface page vi). Furthermore, the author was interested in exploring how persistent social interaction patterns and cultural cycles determine trends for cultural growth in a community's life cycle. These goals frame Landis's case study research and guide his exploration of social phenomena.

In presenting a context for understanding change in these communities, the author weaves an intriguing narrative describing the boomtown growth and evolution of the three communities in the natural resource abundant Mesabi Range of the early 20th century. This rich detail is essential in that it provides a historical context for understanding the social structures, conditions, and resource usage patterns that evolved. In his discussion, Landis explores community conflicts and battles between local residents/ government and extralocal development forces. Here, extralocal development forces (most often in the form of the steel industry) were in constant conflict with local government, entrepreneurs, and the general public. Such conflicts were often centered on local receipt of revenue and taxes associated with extensive mining and natural resource extraction industries. In some instances local efforts were successful in this conflict and succeeded in having revenue channeled back into the community and reallocated to meet local needs. However in other cases, local planning proved to be shortsighted and did not foresee an end to the natural resource usage that characterized their community's existence. As Landis predicted, changing market demands and the depletion of natural resource reserves quickly signaled the decline of the region and the communities studied.

To explore this evolution, Landis provides an excellent contrast and comparison of the three communities. While located within a relatively small geographic region and presenting similarities in social structures and issues confronted, the communities showed remarkable diversity in their evolution. Landis's discussion of the relationship between municipal governments, local residents, and mining corporations was particularly interesting in this setting. Such relationships largely dictated how the communities evolved. In cases where greater community involvement and limited extralocal control were present, the communities developed into more stable social entities. On the other hand, in communities where such conditions were lacking, less stable environments evolved that were often characterized by a lack of social interaction, control, and support structures.

While the book is well written it does have several flaws, which if addressed, would have made the text stronger. First, and most important, is the lack of a theoretical basis for Landis's research. Whereas his case study methodology was well presented, a clear linkage to specific theoretical perspectives would have better guided the research and allowed for more developed conclusions to be explored. A discussion of the units of analysis, key concepts, variables, and the rationale for focusing on these would have contributed to a more complete understanding of the social and environmental impacts taking place in the three communities. Without such information, interpreting the appropriateness of Landis's conclusions, and specifically his reliance on cultural cycles, is at times difficult. second, the author fails to provide a clear rationale for selecting the three communities. Numerous other communities exist throughout the country and within the Mesabi Range similar to those selected. A framework or rationale explaining why these sites were chosen over others would have been useful in better determining the impacts of development and in understanding their unique character.

Even as the theoretical/methodological problems discussed above detracted somewhat for the work, the approach used by the author provided a useful insight into the issues shaping natural resource usage, and local community life. In doing this, Landis accomplishes his goals of framing and exploring how social interaction, resources dependence, and extralocal development shape societal behaviors and the evolution of resource dependent communities.

Overall, the author's presentation of the social, economic and cultural development of the three communities was clear and thorough. However, the greatest contribution of this work is the clarity with which Landis explored the interrelation between natural resources and society. This is remarkable in that his research was conducted long before the emergence of environmental/natural resource sociology and ils inquiry into such relationships. In doing this, it serves an excellent example of the contributions of rural sociology to natural resource studies.

Three Iron Mining Towns: A Study in Cultural Change would serve graduate and undergraduate students well in helping them understand the complex interrelationships between communities and natural resources. It would be excellent as a supplemental text for advanced studies. The text is also important for rural sociologists and others conducting applied research into the impact of human society on the environment. This work is particularly useful in that it provides a framework and strong example for case study research that is central and often underused in sociology. While a classic text, the methods for conducting community research are as applicable today as when they were written.

Reviewed by Mark Brennan

University of Florida

Copyright Rural Sociological Society Sep 2004

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