Abstract

The article concerns the political negotiations during the planning process of a hydroelectric dam whose construction affects an indigenous community in Costa Rica. In order to allow the thick description of this development-network, the study traces how three actors in the field—development workers, indigenous activists, and an independent researcher—produce cultural representations and concepts with apparently clear boundaries. This multivocal account shows how development projects constitute themselves by associating heterogeneous actors. Simultaneously, it highlights the production of cultural representations and knowledge of development.

pdf

Share