Success and failure of protest actors’ framing strategies in conflicts over land and mining in Senegal

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn this article, I explore how the discursive context shapes the outcome of protest actors’ framing strategies in conflicts over large-scale land transformations. I use the discursive opportunity structures (DOS) concept to show that the outcome of framing strategies is influenced by national and transnational discursive structures. These differ depending on the specific purpose of land valorisation. Further factors influencing the outcomes are counter frames of the opponents, quality of framing strategies and frictions within movements. Empirically, I compare framing strategies used by protest actors in conflicts around a gold mine and an agro-industrial project in Senegal.