The Labor of Extraction in Latin America

Natural resource extraction and primary commodity export are still significant aspects of the Latin American economy. This edited volume explores the power of labor in extractive sectors, focusing on oil and gas, mining, and agriculture, and the impact of informal labor and migrant labor-power on organizing and worker solidarity. The book analyzes the relationships between workers, extractive companies, states, political parties, national social sectors, and global commodity markets.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 268 pages
Publication date: 08 January 2024
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

The Latin American economy continues to be characterized by the extraction of natural resources and the export of primary commodities, which have remained steadfast features over the years. In an effort to understand the profound impact of labor on extractive sectors in Latin America, this edited volume delves into the power of labor from the 1980s onwards. It explores how labor shapes national export sectors, economies, politics, and societies at large.

Kristin Ciupa and Jeffrey R. Webber, two esteemed experts, have assembled a team of international scholars who examine labor in various extractive industries, including oil and gas, mining, and agriculture, as well as migrant labor. Through a diverse range of viewpoints and case studies, the book explores themes such as the strategic organizing potential of extractive workers, the rise of informal labor and its implications for organizing and worker solidarity, and the power of migrant labor in extraction.

The book conducts an in-depth analysis of the complex relationships between workers, extractive companies, states, political parties, national social sectors, and global commodity markets. It sheds light on the dynamics and complexities that shape these interactions, providing valuable insights into the ongoing history of extractive capitalism in Latin America, its ecological consequences, and the resistance movements against it.

By placing labor organizing at the center of discussions on Latin America's extractive capitalism, its effects on nature, and the ongoing struggles against it, The Labor of Extraction in Latin America offers a comprehensive and thought-provoking examination of this critical issue. It is a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, policymakers, and activists seeking to understand the complex dynamics of labor, extraction, and the broader socio-economic landscape of Latin America.

Weight: 367g
Dimension: 225 x 152 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538187555