Analysis of socio-technical controversies in two cases of socio-environmental conflicts in Peru as a requirement for the transformation of conflicts
Institutional Affiliation
Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Perú (PUCP)
Start Date
3-11-2023 11:30 AM
End Date
3-11-2023 1:00 PM
Proposal Type
Presentation
Proposal Format
On-campus
Proposal Description
This research is based on the premise of Christofer Mitchell (1986) that to transform a conflict it is necessary to address its structural causes. According to Mitchell, the root causes of the conflict can be economic, normative, ecological etc., unresolved generate the persistence of conflict between the parties.
In Latin America, the most recurrent conflicts occur between extractive industries and communities, affecting governance. Communities often oppose the development of mining projects and question the premises that there will be no impact on the environment or their health. The confrontation is therefore focused on environmental impact studies (EIS).
Based on the theory of the "Actor Red" (Callon and Latour) this research focuses on the sociotechnical disputes that the parties develop on the premises of the EIS of the megaprojects of Tía María and Conga in Peru. But, disputes unfold in the local media and digital space seeking to affect public decisions to manage conflicts.
Social leaders, managers and the population were interviewed about the communication strategies to build the actor-network. The regional media's coverage of socio-technical controversies was also analyzed.
It is found that the company and opposition groups build the "network actor" around the socio-technical premises of the EIS based on communicative strategies and media use. The questioning and defense of these premises dominates the dynamics of conflict between the parties, increasing structural changes (Pruitt).
Lederach agrees that the substantive problem is intertwined with the relationship and processes, but the study contributes to the need to address the sociotechnical premises to solve the structural dimension of the problem. Therefore, it is necessary to open the "black box" and discuss in the dialogue processes the sociotechnical premises to reach the deep reaches of the conflict, in the cases analyzed, the regulations on the evaluation of EIS.
Analysis of socio-technical controversies in two cases of socio-environmental conflicts in Peru as a requirement for the transformation of conflicts
This research is based on the premise of Christofer Mitchell (1986) that to transform a conflict it is necessary to address its structural causes. According to Mitchell, the root causes of the conflict can be economic, normative, ecological etc., unresolved generate the persistence of conflict between the parties.
In Latin America, the most recurrent conflicts occur between extractive industries and communities, affecting governance. Communities often oppose the development of mining projects and question the premises that there will be no impact on the environment or their health. The confrontation is therefore focused on environmental impact studies (EIS).
Based on the theory of the "Actor Red" (Callon and Latour) this research focuses on the sociotechnical disputes that the parties develop on the premises of the EIS of the megaprojects of Tía María and Conga in Peru. But, disputes unfold in the local media and digital space seeking to affect public decisions to manage conflicts.
Social leaders, managers and the population were interviewed about the communication strategies to build the actor-network. The regional media's coverage of socio-technical controversies was also analyzed.
It is found that the company and opposition groups build the "network actor" around the socio-technical premises of the EIS based on communicative strategies and media use. The questioning and defense of these premises dominates the dynamics of conflict between the parties, increasing structural changes (Pruitt).
Lederach agrees that the substantive problem is intertwined with the relationship and processes, but the study contributes to the need to address the sociotechnical premises to solve the structural dimension of the problem. Therefore, it is necessary to open the "black box" and discuss in the dialogue processes the sociotechnical premises to reach the deep reaches of the conflict, in the cases analyzed, the regulations on the evaluation of EIS.