John Childs

I am particularly interested in the political ecological dimensions of natural resource extraction, including the study of minerals, precious metals, oil and gas. I have researched the emergence of the discourse of 'responsibility', justice and ethics in the mining industry, particularly the extent to which Fairtrade can solve the problems of social and environmental injustice in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Most contemporarily, I am interested in the political economy of 'resource nationalism' in sub-Saharan Africa.