Dr. Matt Himley

Research Interests & Areas

In broad terms, I am interested in three dimensions of human-environment interactions: (a) the processes through which elements of the natural world are thought of, valued, and incorporated into the economy as resources; (b) the socio-environmental implications of resource exploitation; and (c) the forms of social mobilization and protest that resource-industry expansion generates. In recent years, my research has focused on the drivers and effects of changing patterns of mineral development in Peru, in both contemporary and historical periods. Through this research, I address issues including the role of science in the identification, exploitation, and management of natural resources; the implications of shifting governance frameworks for resource-use dynamics and conflicts; and the rise of sustainability and corporate social responsibility in government and resource-industry discourse and practice. I am especially interested in the unequal impacts of resource-centered development policies, the uneven power dynamics that characterize encounters at the extractive frontier, and how historically marginalized communities organize to defend their rights and interests in the face of extractive-industry expansion.