Political opportunity and mobilization

The evolution of a Swedish mining-sceptical movement

Document identifier: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-76199
Access full text here:10.1016/j.resourpol.2019.101477
Keyword: Social Sciences, Political Science, Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalisation Studies), Samhällsvetenskap, Statsvetenskap, Statsvetenskap (exklusive studier av offentlig förvaltning och globaliseringsstudier), Mining, Social movements, Conflict, National mineral policy, Political opportunity structures, Governance
Publication year: 2019
Relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

The SDG label(s) above have been assigned by OSDG.ai

Abstract:

As demand for minerals is expected to increase due to the energy transition needed to meet climate targets, mineral exploration will continue intensifying. Surveys find that public acceptance of the mining industry is low, particularly in the EU, suggesting that mining conflicts may increase in both number and intensity. Conflict usually occurs in places where a significant number of local actors mobilize resistance against a mining company. Their success is dependent on the emergence of a broader social movement that jumps to the relevant scale of regulation, often the national level. Despite this, very little attention is being paid to the emergence of such a movement, as well as to the state and its institutions, in studies on mining conflicts. Most research into mining conflicts examines developing countries, while mining resistance is an emerging issue also in developed nations, not least in the Arctic. Understanding mining resistance is important in avoiding or addressing conflicts that can be costly for companies, communities, and the state. This paper explores the relationship between state politics and mining resistance at the national level, drawing on social movement research and the concept of political opportunity structures. The results show that confrontational mining resistance will grow at the national level when the state offers little access nor influence to mining-sceptical actors in either policy formulation or implementation, and where there is a sufficient number of simultaneously ongoing contested licensing processes. In cases where indigenous people are involved, weak or contested indigenous rights may also spur resistance.

Authors

Anna Zachrisson

Department of Political Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. Arctic Research Centre at Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
Other publications >>

Karin Beland Lindahl

Luleå tekniska universitet; Samhällsvetenskap
Other publications >>

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        identifier: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-76199
        datestamp: 2021-04-19T12:40:35Z
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                version: 3.7
            recordInfo: 
                recordContentSource: ltu
                recordCreationDate: 2019-10-02
            identifier: 
                http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-76199
                10.1016/j.resourpol.2019.101477
                2-s2.0-85072623739
            titleInfo: 
                @attributes: 
                    lang: eng
                title: Political opportunity and mobilization
                subTitle: The evolution of a Swedish mining-sceptical movement
            abstract: 
As demand for minerals is expected to increase due to the energy transition needed to meet climate targets mineral exploration will continue intensifying. Surveys find that public acceptance of the mining industry is low particularly in the EU suggesting that mining conflicts may increase in both number and intensity. Conflict usually occurs in places where a significant number of local actors mobilize resistance against a mining company. Their success is dependent on the emergence of a broader social movement that jumps to the relevant scale of regulation often the national level. Despite this very little attention is being paid to the emergence of such a movement as well as to the state and its institutions in studies on mining conflicts. Most research into mining conflicts examines developing countries while mining resistance is an emerging issue also in developed nations not least in the Arctic. Understanding mining resistance is important in avoiding or addressing conflicts that can be costly for companies communities and the state. This paper explores the relationship between state politics and mining resistance at the national level drawing on social movement research and the concept of political opportunity structures. The results show that confrontational mining resistance will grow at the national level when the state offers little access nor influence to mining-sceptical actors in either policy formulation or implementation and where there is a sufficient number of simultaneously ongoing contested licensing processes. In cases where indigenous people are involved weak or contested indigenous rights may also spur resistance.

            subject: 
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                        authority: uka.se
                    topic: 
                        Social Sciences
                        Political Science
                        Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalisation Studies)
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: swe
                        authority: uka.se
                    topic: 
                        Samhällsvetenskap
                        Statsvetenskap
                        Statsvetenskap (exklusive studier av offentlig förvaltning och globaliseringsstudier)
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Mining
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Social movements
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Conflict
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: National mineral policy
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Political opportunity structures
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                    topic: Governance
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                        authority: ltu
                    topic: Political Science
                    genre: Research subject
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: swe
                        authority: ltu
                    topic: Statsvetenskap
                    genre: Research subject
            language: 
                languageTerm: eng
            genre: 
                publication/journal-article
                ref
            note: 
                Published
                2
                
Validerad;2019;Nivå 2;2019-10-02 (johcin)

            name: 
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                        type: personal
                    namePart: 
                        Zachrisson
                        Anna
                    role: 
                        roleTerm: aut
                    affiliation: Department of Political Science Umeå University Umeå Sweden. Arctic Research Centre at Umeå University Umeå Sweden
                    @attributes: 
                        type: personal
                        authority: ltu
                    namePart: 
                        Lindahl
                        Karin Beland
                    role: 
                        roleTerm: aut
                    affiliation: 
                        Luleå tekniska universitet
                        Samhällsvetenskap
                    nameIdentifier: 
                        karbel
                        0000-0001-6145-2252
            originInfo: 
                dateIssued: 2019
                publisher: Elsevier
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                @attributes: 
                    type: host
                titleInfo: 
                    title: Resources policy
                identifier: 
                    0301-4207
                    1873-7641
                part: 
                    detail: 
                            @attributes: 
                                type: volume
                            number: 64
                            @attributes: 
                                type: artNo
                            number: 101477
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                form: print
            typeOfResource: text