Sumaya Luger

Minnesota’s Iron Range is known for its ore deposits that contribute the bulk of domestic iron ore production in the U.S. (How the Iron Ore Market Works, 2022). The primary government agency of this region in charge of economic development is known as the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB; Manuel, 2015). As the agency in charge of the region’s economic development, it’s important to look at the relationship it has to the people living on the Iron Range. One way to evaluate the IRRRB’s relationship to the communities on the Iron Range is to look at how they interact in the context of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Generally, CSR is described as a company’s attempt to engage in socially responsible behaviors and activities in response to societal demands, the public’s influence, and the ability of these activities to be profitable (O’Connor & Meister, 2008). Specifically in the context of mining, CSR is defined as a triple bottom line that attempts to balance ‘profit’ with ‘people’ and ‘planet’ (Isacowitz et. al., 2022). Looking at the interactions between the IRRRB and the communities on the Range through a CSR perspective will help narrow down the way CSR is practiced in the specific context of the extractive industry. In order to do this, I will use primary methods of data collection. These will include a reading of academic literature to provide historical context for the IRRRB's role in the Range's economic development, looking at the IRRRB's social media to identify trends in their CSR activities and finally, I will I will do a close analysis of newspaper articles focusing on the IRRRB’s CSR activities and community in order to gauge community perception of those activities. By using these methods I hope to develop and share a deep understanding of how the IRRRB's CSR activities effect its relationship with the communities on the Iron Range.