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Risk society at Europe’s periphery? the case of the bergama resistance in turkey1

Abstract:

At the heart of this case is the Eurogold Corporation, a subsidiary of the Australian Normandy Mining Limited2, and its plan to extract gold through a controversial cyanide-leaching process. Peasants from villages surrounding the mine have mobilized a potent force against Eurogold based on risks to public health, the agricultural economy, and the ecological integrity of the region. The Turkish state is caught between these two sides, loath to alienate either the muchx2013;needed foreign investor or the increasingly valiant civil society.3 This case is particularly relevant for a risk society approach as it parallels other documented cases in Western Europe where risk has formed the discursive backbone of the conflict (see, for instance, Wynne, [7] and Irwin et al., [8]).