Toward a Political Sociology of Dispossession

Explaining Opposition to Capital Projects in India

Bibliographic Data

ID2317480
AuthorsMichael Levien (0000-0001-8281-3248, Johns Hopkins University), Smriti Upadhyay (0000-0002-8501-0501, Johns Hopkins University)
Year2022
Volume50
Issue2
Pages279-310
Publication date2022-06-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLatin American Politics and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1531-426X • E-ISSN: 1548-2456
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/00323292211016587
OpenAlexW3165279949
LanguageEN
Citations received5

Land dispossession is a major source of protest in many countries. This article asks, How common are cases of mobilization against land dispossession relative to cases of nonmobilization? Why do we see protests against land dispossession for some projects and not others? These questions are taken up in the context of India, a major global hotspot for land dispossession protest. Using a database of all major capital projects in the country, the article looks at the effects of project characteristics and context on incidence of delays or cancellations due to land acquisition problems. The findings demonstrate that a project's sector and subnational location affect the emergence of opposition to land dispossession. Further, differences in political competitiveness and agrarian social structure are significant factors driving subnational variation. By identifying important factors shaping opposition to land dispossession, the article aims to stimulate comparative research that can advance a political sociology of dispossession

Agrarian society · Agriculture · Development economics · Economic geography · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Opposition (politics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Social capital · Social science · Sociology · Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development · Land Rights and Reforms · Law · Water Governance and Infrastructure

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