When Hyundai announced their intentions to build a $7.6M EV vehicle factory in a rural part of Bryan County, Georgia, many celebrated the largest economic development project in Georgia history. The factory would bring over 8,500 jobs, as well as numerous suppliers to nearby communities. Some saw this as a once in a generation opportunity to provide good paying jobs in an area with higher than average poverty rates.
Despite promises of good jobs, the pushback from some local residents was harsh and swift. Many expressed concern that the size and scope of the project would change their community beyond recognition and destroy the small town feel or rural lifestyle. Others expressed concerns about water availability, dwindling availability of farm land, the environmental impact of development, and unchecked sprawl. This paper will examine how three communities confronted and reacted to concerns about growth and development. Through content analysis of newspaper articles, social media posts, and official council and commission meeting minutes, we examine how community residents formed coalitions to oppose development, including the use of narratives to define place and “community.”
The turn of the 21st century has seen a new settlement pattern of immigrants bypassing traditional urban gateways and locating to rural spaces instead. Rural immigration thus presents a unique opportunity to advance the vitality of small towns. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of rural immigrants with community leadership. Findings revealed that rural immigrants experience community leadership as a broad practice of service meant for all members of the community, not just a select few. The experience of community leadership by rural immigrants also involves complexities in representation and challenges in developing immigrant leaders.
