In this introduction to the special issue of Sociologia del lavoro, devoted to labour transformations and welfare policies in the context of the ecological crisis, the authors review the state of the debate, focusing on three emerging concepts: climate justice, just transition and sustainable welfare. They provide an analysis of the academic and non-academic contexts in which these concepts have emerged and the kinds of programmatic questions that they raise for the study of labour transformations, social movements and welfare policies. After discussing how the collected contributions operationalise the three concepts in different empirical and research contexts, the article outlines some critical gaps that warrant being addressed or explored further and propose a few methodological and analytical pointers that are useful for the continuation of the debate and, thus, the growth of a field of analysis that is destined to occupy a major space in the sociology of labour.
In the last two decades, the promotion of agro-industry has become a dominant developmental imperative on the African continent, leading to efforts to involve private-sector actors. This article examines the political economy and ecology of agro-industry in the Senegal River delta, focusing on local-level reactions to Senegalese initiatives aimed at attracting foreign investors in agriculture. The argument is that Senegal is witnessing the emergence of an agro-extractivist pattern that replaces earlier development objectives – such as peasants’ integration into the national economy – with the new imperative of the integration of territories into global capitalism. The article presents empirical evidence on three main consequences of the increased presence of agro-industry: a process of change in land property and access; the end of public support to peasant farmers; and an intensified marginalisation of pastoralism. Colonial heritage and the role of local resistances in shaping and mediating this developmental strategy are also discussed.
La fin du Consensus de Washington a coïncidé avec le démarrage d’une nouvelle phase de développement impulsée par l’idée de l’émergence africaine. Au Sénégal, cela s’est traduit par la relance des politiques de développement agricole, marquée par une augmentation des investissements fonciers à grande échelle. Cette étude se fonde sur l’analyse de la gestion d’un investissement agro-industriel dans la région du delta du fleuve Sénégal qui a entraîné le transfert de 20 000 hectares de terres pastorales et du conflit qui s’est ensuivi avec les populations locales. Elle accorde une attention particulière aux procédures de gouvernance foncière qui sous-tendent l’investissement, aux formes de régulation formelles et informelles, publiques et privées qui accompagnent sa mise en place, ainsi qu’à la gestion des relations avec les populations affectées par le projet. Elle met en évidence l’articulation stratégique entre action étatique et gouvernance néolibérale dans la réorganisation des relations entre territoires, droits et habitants, qui poursuit l’avancement de la colonisation agricole du delta. Ces dynamiques reflètent la transformation néolibérale de l’« État du développement » et minent la possibilité de participation des populations locales dans les processus de développement portant sur leurs territoires.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.