ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the resources question by discussing metal mining and its social ramifications in the context of northern Finland. It investigates mineral extraction activity in Finland with a review of the Finnish neoliberal mining boom that started in the early 2000s, and discusses the current situation of and relationship between mining and social work in northern Finland. In Finland, large-scale metal mining concentrates on northern and eastern Finland. Northern Finland is known for its unique arctic nature, and the natural environment continues to play a significant role in the everyday lives of people. Social work concerns over the mining industry have traditionally been limited to the health and safety of the miners, the need of social services in the mining communities, and the need to develop alternative visions and sources of employment in retrograding mining communities. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the possibilities of ecosocial practice in relation to mineral extraction in Finland.
