"Social movement mobilisation around the reindeer pastoralism of the indigenous Sámi people in Sweden, 2012–2022." Presentation by Post-Doctoral Researcher David Harnesk at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies

Abstract: My seminar builds on a series of paper developed within my 36-month research project on “Sámi social movements – indigenous mobilization around the ecological conditions of reindeer husbandry under climate emergency”, funded by the Swedish Research Council. My presentation starts with basic introductions to key debates on sustainable development that I employ as well as an introduction to the ecological conditions of natural grazing-based reindeer pastoralism. I then proceed to present examples from my research; broadly situated within sustainability science, the contentious politics approach to social movement, and a theory of hegemony and counter-hegemonic politics. I will mainly present the outcomes from a media analysis of over 6000 articles published by the Sámi public service media Sveriges Radio Ođđasat 2012–2022 and adjacent documents – covering ‘grievances’, ‘strategies for achieving political change’, ‘reforms and coalition building’ around the interests of reindeer pastoralists among the indigenous Sámi people in Sweden. It is worth mentioning that my research also builds on field-work and multiple interactions with reindeer pastoralist organisations and other 'challengers'. From this, I open up for discussion on (overcoming) limitations of human rights in practical mobilisation efforts beyond an eco-modernist approach to sustainability.