New Books in Sociology

Lian Sinclair, "Undermining Resistance: The Governance of Participation by Multinational Mining Corporations" (Manchester UP, 2024)

May 5, 2025

Lian Sinclair, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Sydney, discusses the complex role of multinational mining companies in undermining local resistance. She explores how participatory strategies are deployed to reshape community dynamics in Indonesia. Sinclair reveals the tensions between corporate social responsibility and genuine community empowerment. The conversation highlights the shift towards critical minerals and the challenges faced by communities as they navigate their rights amidst corporate influence. It's a fascinating look at power, protest, and the politics of extraction.

36:47

Episode guests

Lian Sinclair

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Multinational mining corporations employ participatory mechanisms as a strategy to manage resistance and reshape community dynamics in favor of extractive accumulation.

The evolution of mining governance in Indonesia reflects local resistance and changing ownership dynamics, highlighting resource nationalism's impact on multinational corporations.

Deep dives

The Fascination with Mining and Its Societal Impact

The speaker shares a deep-rooted fascination with mining, sparked by experiences in Western Australia during a mining boom, where they witnessed both the wealth and environmental destruction associated with the industry. This duality of transformation highlighted the significant impacts mining has on local communities, prompting a lifelong interest in advocacy related to resource extraction. A pivotal experience involved meeting farmers in Indonesia resisting an Australian-owned sand iron mine, showcasing the power of community organization against corporate interests. These early encounters shaped the direction of their studies, emphasizing the rich narratives around resistance to mining practices.

Intro

2min

Mining, Resistance, and Community Dynamics in Indonesia

24min

Navigating the Tensions in Critical Political Economy

3min

Understanding Social License and Extractive Accumulation in Mining Contexts

3min

The Shift in Indonesia's Mining Landscape: From Traditional Metals to Critical Minerals

2min

Why do multinational mining corporations use participation to undermine resistance? Do the struggles of local communities, activists and NGOs matter on a global scale? Why are there so many different global standards in mining?

Undermining Resistance: The Governance of Participation by Multinational Mining Corporations (Manchester UP, 2024) develops a new critical political economy approach to studying extractive accumulation, drawing on three detailed Indonesian cases to explain how participatory mechanisms continuously reshape and are reshaped by community-corporate conflict. Findings highlight feedback between local social relations, conflict, transnational activism, crises of legitimacy and global governance.

The author argues that corporate social responsibility, community development, 'gender-mainstreaming' and environmental monitoring are neither simple outcomes of corporate ethics nor mere greenwashing strategies. Rather, participation is a mechanism to undermine resistance and create social relations amenable to extractive accumulation.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology