Understanding Extractivism: Culture and Power

Extractivism refers to the process of extracting natural resources from the earth in order to sell them in the global market. It exists in an economy which is based significantly on the removal or extraction of natural resources that are deemed valuable for exportation across the globe. Oil, gold, lumber and diamonds are some examples of resources acquired through extraction. It has emerged as a promising pathway for development following the neoliberal economic transitions. This progress becomes possible by attracting foreign direct investment and stabilizing growth rates. There are several environmental concerns of extractivism such as deforestation, dwindling biodiversity, climate change, loss of food sovereignty, contamination of freshwater and soil depletion. There are also some political and social consequences associated with it such as unbalanced wealth distribution and conflict, human rights violations, and hazardous labor conditions, which result in an imbalance in power and culture. This book unravels the recent studies on extractivism as well as its relationship to culture and power. The readers would gain knowledge that would broaden their perspective about this subject.