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Social licence versus procedural justice: Competing narratives of (Il)legitimacy at the San Xavier mine, Mexico

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  • Bowles, Paul
  • MacPhail, Fiona
  • Tetreault, Darcy

Abstract

Mining activities have met with opposition and resistance in many countries. As a way to defuse and overcome such opposition, many mining companies have adopted various strategies designed to obtain a ‘Social Licence to Operate’. However, while mining companies have sometimes embraced this approach they have nevertheless met with continuing opposition. We argue that this is because the corporate-framed Social Licence to Operate does not take into account some of the factors to which civil society groups object. As a result, competing narratives arise with the social licence narrative facing one based on procedural justice and advanced by civil society opponents. We illustrate this by examining the prominent San Xavier gold and silver mine in Cerro de San Pedro, Mexico. We show how the two narratives differ in defining who should be consulted, what should be the object of investigation (the company or the mine), and the nature of corporate-state relations. We point to the policy implications of this.

Suggested Citation

  • Bowles, Paul & MacPhail, Fiona & Tetreault, Darcy, 2019. "Social licence versus procedural justice: Competing narratives of (Il)legitimacy at the San Xavier mine, Mexico," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 157-165.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:61:y:2019:i:c:p:157-165
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2019.02.005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Owen, John R. & Kemp, Deanna, 2013. "Social licence and mining: A critical perspective," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 29-35.
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    5. Didi Stoltenborg & Rutgerd Boelens, 2016. "Disputes over land and water rights in gold mining: the case of Cerro de San Pedro, Mexico," Water International, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(3), pages 447-467, May.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Rastegar, Raymond, 2020. "Tourism and justice: Rethinking the role of governments," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
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    4. Yıldız, Taşkın Deniz & Kural, Orhan, 2020. "The effects of the mining operation activities permit process on the mining sector in Turkey," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    5. Balza, Lenin H. & Diaz, Lina M. & Gomez-Parra, Nicolas & Manzano M., Osmel E., 2023. "The unwritten license: The societal SLO in Latin America’s extractive sector," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    6. Beland Lindahl, Karin & Suopajärvi, Leena & Tulilehto, Mari & Poelzer, Gregory & Eerola, Toni, 2023. "Factors affecting local attitudes to mineral exploration: What's within the company's control?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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