Discursive strategies and activist framing in anti-mining campaigns

Abstract

ABSTRACT A rich body of literature has established the importance of activist framing in environmental controversies. This research suggests that framing and framing contests are nested within broader discursive opportunity structures, which have significant implications for frame resonance and success. While significant research on environmental activism has investigated how activists can fight against new industrial projects, comparatively less is known about how activists can fight against these initiatives in areas that have been historically dependent on extractive industries. We utilise the case of a proposed gold mining project in Western Romania to investigate how environmental activists were able to successfully tap into broader national and international discursive opportunities to forestall the mining efforts in the region. Our data come from in-depth interviews and document analysis. We contribute to this body of research by shedding light on the dynamics surrounding activists’ shifts in framing strategies to reflect changes in discursive opportunity availability.