The making of mining expectations: mining romanticism and historical memory in a neoliberal political landscape

Abstract

This paper investigates a greenfield mining project in a peripheral region in northern Sweden through the analysis of how different actor groups formed their own 'horizons of expectations' that temporally became fused, only to crumble together with the mining company in a short period of time. By focusing on the co-evolvement of expectations, we show how expectations are differentiated along geographical and temporal scales, reflect upon how these differences relate to interests and historical memory, and finally what these differences mean for the development of large-scale, long-term, raw materials-based projects devoted to industrial production in depopulating areas in an economy otherwise orientated towards neoliberal governance and post-industrial development. By doing so, we make a theoretical contribution to the literature on expectations through the introduction of the concept 'horizon of expectations', and a contribution to the literature on neoliberalism and its cultural-geographical implications.

Young People, Wellbeing and Placemaking in the Arctic

“…This observation compares interestingly with observations made by Komu and Adams (this volume) in their case study of the Finnish town of Kolari, where tourism brings more diversity to the town and is a source of employment, while mining is what Haikola and Anshelm (2017) have called a "horizon of expectation". However, in Kolari much of the work in tourism is seasonal and done by workers from the south, who leave once the downhill skiing season is over.…”

Extraordinary Underground

“…Mining projects are frequently portrayed, and understood among supporters, as eliciting dream-like expectations of prosperity and a better future, documented among communities of diverse cultural and geographical backgrounds. This has been demonstrated in recent research addressing expectations toward modern mining projects (Filer & Macintyre, 2006;Pijpers, 2016;Engwicht, 2018;Haikola & Anshelm, 2018;Poelzer & Ejdemo, 2018;Wiegink, 2018). Moreover, it is intriguing that, as Wilson and Stammler (2016) observe in the context of Arctic mining, "expectations tend to be the same, no matter how many times such expectations have been disappointed, or opportunities wasted in other regions in the past" (Wilson & Stammler, 2016: 1;see further Wormbs, 2018).…”

Gender and Struggles for Equality in Mining Resistance Movements: Performing Critique against Neoliberal Capitalism in Sweden and Greece

“…Animated public debate has ensued on whether intensive resource exploitation should continue, given the conflicting interests involved (Haikola & Anshelm, 2016). For instance, estimates of the number of jobs that might be created by establishing new mines have been increasingly questioned (e.g., Haikola & Anshelm, 2017;Henriksson, Juhlin, & Pistol, 2015;Müller, 2015), and contrasted with the jobs that the mines might destroy. Examples have been presented of mining projects creating huge costs for municipalities with declining revenues from taxation, along with instances of tensions in the local economy, and severe environmental pollution (Müller, 2015).…”

“…However, Haikola and Anshelm's (2016, p. 512) analysis of the Swedish government's mineral strategy shows that the opposite is true, since its previous colonial practices have been intensified under this strategy. For instance, Haikola and Anshelm (2017) identify a marked shift toward a neoliberal mineral policy since 2013. In this context, Sami organizations report a new kind of aggressiveness in authorities' actions that are directed against their community.…”

“…Two issues lie at the centre of the analysis, namely the need to account for women's contributions to anti-mining struggles, and women's capitalist critique through protest movements. Specifically, we focus on our observations of the expanding extraction and exploitation of natural resources (Haikola & Anshelm, 2017) in both Sweden and Greece. This recent "mining boom" is widespread and global and yet it depends on the economic and political context in which it takes place; equally, women's opposition to these developments comprises distinctive local characteristics.…”