Visions on risk, nature and development

The production of cellulose pulp in Uruguay

Abstract

This article aims to introduce the study of the construction of pulp mills in Uruguay, placing a focus on the various social actors’ assessments of this industry and the actors’ relationship with the environment and nature. The purpose is to characterize the models of development implicit in social actors’ discourses, identifying tensions and similarities between them. The study seeks to further the analysis of the social construction of risk, delving into the actors’ risk selection regarding the pulp mill industry and how they manage risks. Contributions from Latin-American critical theory have been incorporated into the study, looking to analyze the actors’ discourses in close relation to their own notions of development and environment.