The meanings of diagrams in the business strategies of extractive capitalism

Abstract

The objective of the work is to understand the “political geometry” of the imagery representation present in the production and dissemination strategies of diagrams conveyed by companies of neo-extractivist capitalism. Therefore, the role of diagrammatic visuality in the dissemination of a mythological and non-conflicting representation of the social space will be discussed, analyzing, in particular, the corporate strategies for building consent in extramural spaces where the discourse of corporate social responsibility and sustainability is inserted. The article is based on the collection and analysis of diagrams published in the Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Reports of four large corporations in the mineral extraction sector whose publication was carried out in a five-year period, between 2015 and 2020. Furthermore, it draws on the analysis of documents produced by the ICMM - International Council on Mining and Metals, seeking to scrutinize the role played by diagrams in formatting favorable environments to neutralize dissent and contestation of mining ventures. Based on the research, it can be indicated that the diagrams have been used as mechanisms to capture adherence, neutralize nonconformities and seduce affected communities.

Keywords
Diagrams; business strategies; extractivist capitalism; corporate social responsibility