Conflict And Litigation Between Oil Companies And Village Communities

Abstract

This book, developed out of a doctoral thesis at th e Department of Economics, St.Andrews University, UK, analyses the conflicts between oil companies and village communities in the Niger Delta by focusing on litigation. The author d efines a village community as the local people affected by oil operations on the ground. Membershi p of the village community is defined both in terms of physical residence in a village and in terms of subscription to village social norms. The aims of the book are threefold, first, it aims to study management, secondly, it attempts to provide a detailed analysis of the nature of the di sputes and finally it aims to make a contribution to the research and debate on the role of multinati onal companies in developing countries. The author uses a micro-analytical approach to the study of the conflict, which combines the analysis of concrete institutional arrangements wit h investigations of personal experiences and perceptions of the legal system. The book also adop ts a unique social-legal approach in order to provide a more holistic picture of the disputes bet ween oil companies and village communities.