The Fight Against Big Coal: Resisting Institutional Power in a Neoliberal Transition

• In Event: 254 - Section on Environment and Technology Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 09. Coal

Abstract

Research has documented the social and environmental impacts of coal mining, and rural communities are particularly affected by these negative externalities. Scholars have analyzed how citizens in Western democracies can confront powerful coal industries, yet comparatively little research has focused on challenges to coal elites in societies transitioning from authoritarian rule to neoliberal democracy. Drawing from theoretical literature in social movements, we analyze how anti-coal activists develop tactical repertoires in circumstances where the political context and the nature of their target are unclear. We focus on the rural community of Libkovice, Czech Republic to examine how anti-coal activists strategically protested against a coal industry in the midst of a transition from state control to private corporate ownership. The data for this research were collected between 2000 and 2014 and include in-depth interviews, documentary and raw organizational film footage, and archival materials. Findings reveal that activists can improvise tactical approaches to navigate uncertain political contexts and galvanize widespread opposition to powerful coal elites. We conclude by discussing the implications of this research for future work on citizen efforts to challenge coal industries.

Authors

• Alison E. Adams, University of Florida

• Thomas E. Shriver, North Carolina State University