Paper short abstract:

Coal mining in Upper Nitra will be closed in 2023. Based on researching the socio-political context of technological drama and Bourdieu's field of local power we analyse the main stakeholders' roles, position and narratives in the process and prevailing narratives of the transformation.

Paper long abstract:

The decision to phase out coal mining in Upper Nitra has been made in 2018 and the mine will be definitely closed in 2023. Although the central role of the mining industry has been steadily declining as the regional economy transforms, the impact on the direct and related jobs causes many uncertainties. The Just Transition and other EU and governmental resources should counterbalance negative impacts, but it would require concentrated efforts of all involved stakeholders. Our approach is based on researching the socio-political context of technological drama, 'Actor-Network theory and local f Bourdieu' field of local power determine responses and/or coping strategies of different actors exposed to technological change. There are 3 perspectives in political context here: Imposing, coping and resisting. Or what Brian Pfaffenberger (1992) coins in the concept of technological drama as technological regularization, technological adjustment and technological reconstitution. We thus analyse the main stakeholders' role, position and narratives in the process using the framework of 3 constituencies: (i) Technological Regularisation (IMPOSE); (ii) Technological Adjustment (COPY); and (iii) Technological Reconstitution (RESIST). The once-hot political struggle ceases after the decision and the opposition is now fragmented and re-focusing on the efficiency of the process, perceived corruption or incompetence of the local political elites to utilise available opportunities provided by the incoming funding. In our analyses, we operationalised two prevailing narratives – a positive one and a negative one. We label them for the purpose of this study as (1) Green Region of the Future and (2) Dilapidated House.