Private Politics and Peasant Mobilization

This book explores how different corporate governance strategies affect community mobilization and the scope for influence when an area’s population is faced with the arrival of the extraction industry. Drawing on ethnographic research into Peruvian mining localities, the author analyses a series of relationships which are characterized by confrontations, clientelism, demobilization and strategic collaboration. By presenting a detailed account of micro practices and showing how these processes are interpreted by different groups, Gustafsson offers a refined understanding of the multiple layers and informal workings of power between transnational corporations and local communities.

“Activists, policymakers, and scholars have long struggled to identify effective ways to “deepen” democracy and extend democratic participation to new spheres of social and economic interaction. In this deeply insightful book on relationships between multinational mining companies and local communities, Maria-Therese Gustafsson shines new light on local struggles to deepen democracy and redefine the terms of international corporate investment in the Peruvian Andes. For readers who are interested in emerging forms of local governance and new types of democratic citizenship, this book is the ideal place to start.” (Kenneth Roberts, Cornell University, USA)

“Natural resource conflicts in Latin America are increasing at a worrying pace due to the seemingly irreconcilable pursuit of national development and company profit, on the one hand, and protection of the environment and local livelihoods and cultures, on the other. Based on solid, empirical and historically embedded research, this important book shows how the conflict dynamics are shaped by community capacity for collective action, as well as state practices and private company policies. Yet, the book not only analyses with great clarity processes of company-state-community relations in cases with different outcomes; it also points to concrete potential solutions to the multi-faceted struggles. As such, this book is a must-read for academics and students, as well as potential investors in natural resources, governmental officials and activists that seek to avoid not only the irruption of conflicts, but also the ongoing destruction of communities in Latin America and other resource-rich regions.” (Benedicte Bull, University of Oslo, Norway)

“How do rural communities win or lose by opening themselves up to resource extraction? In this innovative and provocative book, Maria-Therese Gustafsson introduces readers to four strategies adopted in relations between corporations and communities in Peru’s mining sector: confrontation, clientelism, demobilization, and strategic collaboration. The book is the first to address the problem from the standpoint of corporate-community relations rather than focusing primarily on the role of governments, but the neo-liberal turn in Latin America, rendering governments smaller and less relevant, makes her bold insights all the more relevant. Through meticulous research, shrewd analysis, and thoughtful writing, Gustafsson shows readers a way out of the cycles of protest and violence which have plagued extraction in Peru and Latin America over the last twenty years. This original and elegant argument, based on power differentials between communities and corporations and the nature of community demands, is a ‘must read’ for anyone interested in environmental conflict, corporate social responsibility, and economic development.” (Todd A. Eisenstadt,American University, USA)

“Social movements have been mainly studied as they address public institutions, asking for changes in state politics. Based on a rich ethnographic material, this very interesting volume helps filling a gap in the field by analyzing in depth the contentious dynamics of private politics. By comparing two cases of resistance to the expansion of mining in Perù, the author convincingly points at the relations between communities’ organizational strengths, big corporations’ governance strategies and state institutions’ interventions.” (Donatella della Porta, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Italy)

“Gustafsson’s book provides a detailed account of the complexity of contemporary struggles over extractive industries. What strategies do actors use to confront extractives projects? How do these strategies influence the developmental pathways of mineral-rich regions? Drawing on original data from fieldwork, she uncovers informal politics and provides fresh answers to these central questions. Her book's rich analyses make a valuable contribution to studies of the local political-economy of extractives industries.” (Matthew Amengual, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA)

“Research on extractive conflicts rarely pays attention to how communities interact with private corporations. Gustafsson's book is a timely exception. By examining different power dynamics between peasant organizations, private corporations and state institutions, this empirically rich book shows varied patterns and consequences of corporate-community relations. And contrary to the conventional wisdom, some corporate-community relations actually result in strategic cooperation, including benefits for broader constituencies. This book is a must read for those seeking to understand the varied outcomes of evolving corporate-community relations.” (Moises Arce, University of Missouri, USA)

Maria-Therese Gustafsson is Research Fellow in the Department of Political Science at Stockholm University, Sweden. Her research foci include natural resource governance and political participation.