Authors
Karolien Van Teijlingen, Barbara Hogenboom
Publication date
2016/12
Journal
Journal of Developing Societies
Volume
32
Issue
4
Pages
382-420
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Description
In Ecuador, the recent introduction of mineral mining led to a conflictive debate on mining and development, particularly the concept of Buen Vivir (good living). This article examines the discourses on the mining–development nexus articulated in the conflict around the first large-scale mine of Ecuador, El Mirador. The findings indicate that although the conflict concerns tangible territorial transformations, it is also a struggle over meanings. In this struggle, Buen Vivir has become subject to strategic framing processes and eventually turned into an empty signifier. The case of El Mirador illustrates the challenges of advancing Buen Vivir from concept to practice in the context of a search for a post-neoliberal development framework.
Scholar articles
K Van Teijlingen, B Hogenboom - Journal of Developing Societies, 2016