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79424-01 - Seminar: The Political Economy of Resource Extraction (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Viktoria Jansesberger (viktoria.jansesberger@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | The extraction of renewable and non-renewable resources is central to energy production, economic growth, and, increasingly, to societal transformations such as the transition toward low-carbon and green technologies. Resource extraction has long been associated with positive development outcomes, including economic expansion, infrastructure development, and improved livelihoods in remote or economically marginalized regions. At the same time, a growing body of research highlights substantial adverse consequences. Extractive activities often generate significant local externalities, including environmental degradation, pollution, and public health risks. Moreover, benefits from resource extraction are frequently distributed unevenly, contributing to rising socio-economic inequalities. In some contexts, perceived injustices in the distribution of costs and benefits fuel local grievances, resistance, and in certain cases social unrest or violent conflict. This seminar examines the political economy of resource extraction with a particular focus on the so-called local resource curse. It investigates the conditions under which extractive activities generate pollution, inequality, institutional distortions, and conflict, rather than development and prosperity. We ask: Which types of resources, governance arrangements, and socio-political contexts are most likely to produce detrimental outcomes? Under what conditions can extractive industries contribute to sustainable and inclusive development? The seminar provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical and empirical literature on the local consequences of resource extraction. It engages with key debates on institutions, distributional politics, environmental governance, corporate behavior, and conflict dynamics. Students will critically assess competing explanations and evaluate empirical strategies used to study these issues. |
| Learning objectives | By the end of the seminar, students will be able to: • Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the core theories and debates in the political economy of resource extraction, including the literature on the local resource curse. • Critically assess theoretical arguments regarding institutions, inequality, environmental externalities, and conflict in extractive contexts. • Evaluate empirical research designs and methodological approaches used to study the local effects of resource extraction. • Analyze how variation in resource type (e.g., renewable vs. non-renewable), governance structures, and socio-political conditions shapes economic, environmental, and political outcomes. • Apply theoretical and empirical insights to real-world cases of resource extraction across different regional contexts. |
| Bibliography | • Bornschier, Simon, and Manuel Vogt. "The politics of extractivism: Mining, institutional responsiveness, and social resistance." World Development 176 (2024): 106493. • Christensen, Darin. "Concession stands: How mining investments incite protest in Africa." International organization 73.1 (2019): 65-101. • Sexton, Renard. "Unpacking the local resource curse: How externalities and governance shape social conflict." Journal of Conflict Resolution 64.4 (2020): 640-673. |
| Comments | All Seminars will be graded in the Department of Political Science. Grading scale 6.0 to 1.0, whereupon 4.0 is a pass. The number of participants will be limited. The places are assigned according to date of enrollment and subject of study. Priority will be given to students of Political Science. |
| Admission requirements | All Seminars will be graded in the Department of Political Science. Grading scale 6.0 to 1.0, whereupon 4.0 is a pass. The number of participants will be limited. The places are assigned according to date of enrollment and subject of study. Priority will be given to students of Political Science. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Tuesday | 10.15-11.45 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
Dates
| Modules |
Module: Conflicts and Peacebuilding (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources (Start of studies before 01.08.2026)) Module: Extension Social Sciences (Master's degree subject: Political Science – Inequality, Power, Conflict) Module: Inequality, Power, Conflict (Master's degree subject: Political Science – Inequality, Power, Conflict) Module: Resources and Sustainability (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources (Start of studies before 01.08.2026)) Module: Sustainable Societies: Inequality, Power, Conflict (Master's degree program: Changing Societies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | • Active participation • Participation in an oral group discussion • Submission of a debate strategy paper • Questions/comments on the required readings • Dataset poster presentation • Grades are awarded on a scale from 1.0 to 6.0. The following requirements must be met to successfully pass the course: • All ungraded course components (Pass/Fail) must be passed. • Each graded component must receive a minimum grade of 4.0. • Individual course components cannot be retaken separately. • The final grade is calculated as follows: o Submission of a debate strategy paper (40%) o Questions/comments on the required readings (20%) o Dataset poster presentation (40%) |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,5 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Politikwissenschaft |