The comfort of alignment: Mining, green steel, and killjoy desires in Sweden/Sápmi
(2024)- Abstract
- This dissertation deals with Swedish extractivism in Sápmi through the examples of a planned iron ore mine in Gállok/Kallak and the hydrogen-based steel transition. The main aim is to understand the trust that is placed in extraction as a means to arrive at a happy, prosperous, green future. Drawing on Lacanian psychoanalysis and Sara Ahmed’s notion of the promise of happiness, I suggest that extraction constitutes an object of desire toward which people tend in an affective investment, an anticipation of happiness in the future. The fantasy imposes fears of transgression that suggest that misalignment comes with the risk of forfeiting the only alternative to arrive at happiness. As such, I critique the position of rationality that... (More)
- This dissertation deals with Swedish extractivism in Sápmi through the examples of a planned iron ore mine in Gállok/Kallak and the hydrogen-based steel transition. The main aim is to understand the trust that is placed in extraction as a means to arrive at a happy, prosperous, green future. Drawing on Lacanian psychoanalysis and Sara Ahmed’s notion of the promise of happiness, I suggest that extraction constitutes an object of desire toward which people tend in an affective investment, an anticipation of happiness in the future. The fantasy imposes fears of transgression that suggest that misalignment comes with the risk of forfeiting the only alternative to arrive at happiness. As such, I critique the position of rationality that advocates of extraction often monopolize for the sake of the dismissal of alternative development trajectories. Alignment with the fantasy of extraction is generally a comfortable position given the dominant social order. I show, however, that extraction in the North in fact is not a comfortable undertaking but a path that is upheld and imposed despite discomfort instigated through environmental and societal harms. I show how the emphasis on extraction in the Swedish steel transition requires a dismissal of environmental detriments other than emissions, a sacrifice of land and people by weighing green against green. Despite the hopes that come with green steel to onboard processing, diversify local economies, and break with resource colony tendencies of North-South dynamics, this results in a rearticulation of the North as a resource frontier and a re-inscription of colonial relations and indigenous injustice. While the allure of the fantasy disguises alternative trajectories I show that the misaligned interject productive ruptures in extractive desires. The alternatives they outline echo academic calls for dematerialization, a dismantling of the growth paradigm for the sake of reciprocity, care, and regeneration. These ruptures of the extractive allure may serve as entry points into anti-extractive futures that hold real potential to dismantle the North as a treasure trove for extraction. The dissertation builds on fieldwork data consisting of 65 interviews, twelve observations, and secondary material that is read as performative expressions through narrative analysis. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Denna avhandling fokuserar på svensk extraktivism i Sápmi/Norrbotten genom att studera den planerade järnmalmsgruvan i Gállok/Kallak och den gröna omställningen inom stålproduktionen. Huvudsyftet är att förstå tilltron till resursutvinning som ett sätt att nå en lycklig, grön, och god framtid. Med utgångspunkt i psykoanalys läser jag resursutvinning som ett begärsobjekt som människor söker sig till i en förväntan om lycka i framtiden. Denna övertygelse eller fantasi att utvinning av naturresurser leder till lycka skapar en rädsla att bryta mot ordningen och tränger undan alternativa sätt att organisera sina begär. Jag kritiserar rationaliteten som ofta åberopas av resursutvinningens förespråkare och som används för att åsidosätta... (More)
- Denna avhandling fokuserar på svensk extraktivism i Sápmi/Norrbotten genom att studera den planerade järnmalmsgruvan i Gállok/Kallak och den gröna omställningen inom stålproduktionen. Huvudsyftet är att förstå tilltron till resursutvinning som ett sätt att nå en lycklig, grön, och god framtid. Med utgångspunkt i psykoanalys läser jag resursutvinning som ett begärsobjekt som människor söker sig till i en förväntan om lycka i framtiden. Denna övertygelse eller fantasi att utvinning av naturresurser leder till lycka skapar en rädsla att bryta mot ordningen och tränger undan alternativa sätt att organisera sina begär. Jag kritiserar rationaliteten som ofta åberopas av resursutvinningens förespråkare och som används för att åsidosätta alternativa ordningar. Att foga sig i fantasin om resursutvinning är en bekväm position med tanke på den dominerande sociala ordningen. Jag visar dock att utvinningen i Norrbotten snarare upprätthålls trots obehag som orsakats av samhälls- och miljöskador. Jag visar hur grönt vägs mot grönt i ett fortsatt fokus på utvinning i den svenska stålomställningen, vilket medför allvarliga hot bland annat mot den biologiska mångfalden i ett snävt fokus på utsläppsminskningar. Grönt stål associeras med möjligheten att öka förädlingsgraden i regionen, diversifiera lokala ekonomier och att kunna bryta med regionens status som resurskoloni. Jag visar att den ökade utvinningen som grönt stål bygger på i stället leder till att dessa tendenser såväl som koloniala strukturer riskerar att förstärkas och samiska rättigheter hotas ytterligare på grund av ett ökat behov av land. Alternativa röster uppmärksammar bland annat dematerialisering, lokala och småskaliga lösningar och behovet att ifrågasätta tillväxtparadigmet. Avhandlingen bygger på 65 intervjuer och tolv observationer genomförda i Jokkmokk, Boden, Luleå, Gällivare och Kiruna. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/ac6ef315-bddd-43a6-a475-b01511bb09c7
- author
- de Leeuw, Georgia LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Docent Borg Rasmussen, Mattias, University of Copenhagen
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-01
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- extractivism, mining, green steel, iron ore, comfort, alignment, Sweden, Sápmi
- pages
- 317 pages
- publisher
- Lund University
- defense location
- Edens hörsal, Allhelgona Kyrkogata 14, Lund
- defense date
- 2024-03-01 10:15:00
- ISBN
- 978-91-8039-881-7
- 978-91-8039-880-0
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ac6ef315-bddd-43a6-a475-b01511bb09c7
- date added to LUP
- 2024-01-25 12:14:03
- date last changed
- 2024-01-29 11:39:24
@phdthesis{ac6ef315-bddd-43a6-a475-b01511bb09c7,
abstract = {{This dissertation deals with Swedish extractivism in Sápmi through the examples of a planned iron ore mine in Gállok/Kallak and the hydrogen-based steel transition. The main aim is to understand the trust that is placed in extraction as a means to arrive at a happy, prosperous, green future. Drawing on Lacanian psychoanalysis and Sara Ahmed’s notion of the promise of happiness, I suggest that extraction constitutes an object of desire toward which people tend in an affective investment, an anticipation of happiness in the future. The fantasy imposes fears of transgression that suggest that misalignment comes with the risk of forfeiting the only alternative to arrive at happiness. As such, I critique the position of rationality that advocates of extraction often monopolize for the sake of the dismissal of alternative development trajectories. Alignment with the fantasy of extraction is generally a comfortable position given the dominant social order. I show, however, that extraction in the North in fact is not a comfortable undertaking but a path that is upheld and imposed despite discomfort instigated through environmental and societal harms. I show how the emphasis on extraction in the Swedish steel transition requires a dismissal of environmental detriments other than emissions, a sacrifice of land and people by weighing green against green. Despite the hopes that come with green steel to onboard processing, diversify local economies, and break with resource colony tendencies of North-South dynamics, this results in a rearticulation of the North as a resource frontier and a re-inscription of colonial relations and indigenous injustice. While the allure of the fantasy disguises alternative trajectories I show that the misaligned interject productive ruptures in extractive desires. The alternatives they outline echo academic calls for dematerialization, a dismantling of the growth paradigm for the sake of reciprocity, care, and regeneration. These ruptures of the extractive allure may serve as entry points into anti-extractive futures that hold real potential to dismantle the North as a treasure trove for extraction. The dissertation builds on fieldwork data consisting of 65 interviews, twelve observations, and secondary material that is read as performative expressions through narrative analysis.}},
author = {{de Leeuw, Georgia}},
isbn = {{978-91-8039-881-7}},
keywords = {{extractivism; mining; green steel; iron ore; comfort; alignment; Sweden; Sápmi}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Lund University}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{The comfort of alignment: Mining, green steel, and killjoy desires in Sweden/Sápmi}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/170230439/The_comfort_of_alignment_Georgia_de_Leeuw.pdf}},
year = {{2024}},
}