When State says Yes, but Country says No – localizing a conflict in a globalized world. A case study of motivation and perceptions of change through participation in the campaign against the Browse LNG Precinct, Australia

Sammanfattning: In the wake of the state government of Western Australia presenting a plan to develop a liquefied natural gas precinct, a campaign was sparked, drawing Aboriginal peoples, community members, ‘outsiders’ and environmental groups to vocally question the intentions of the proponents through on-site blockades and the social media. This thesis presents a case study of arguments and motivations for people to engage in the campaign, and perceived changes from this engagement. The material was gathered through ethnographic field work with the campaign and interviews with participants. Based on a politics of place, social movement theory and interview material, the campaign is identified as a ‘localized transnational resistance’ movement. Further, using theories of political ecology and environmental subjectivity, I argue that through different forms of motivators to engage in the campaign, the people in it construct a new sense of place among the participants. Also, it is argued that through the agenda of the state of Western Australia with regards to this project, some people have reacted with an increased environmental awareness as a sort of ‘shock response’.