ABSTRACT
The concluding chapter reflects upon the specificities of the examined case to challenge some of the current accounts of the social effects of mining development on rural communities—regarding changes over land access and land use, the fluidity of urban–rural mobility, the functioning of strong social networks in the context of weak institutional settings, and the configuration of hybrid identities—and outlines a research agenda. A major conclusion of the book is that social and spatial transformations prompted by mining development in rural societies cannot be understood as merely the mechanical result of an unleashing of global forces. People’s agency and processes originating from the bottom are crucial for comprehending the outcomes. Kinship and local networks act as a safety net and a distribution system of economic benefits. Therefore, with the use of extended kinship networks, the local families, and not exclusively state institutions or company policies, are able to regulate a significant proportion of the distribution of goods and services as well as many of the decisions dealing with mining development at a local level. Additionally, the chapter identifies key areas for future research.
