In recent years, emerging economies in the Global South have increased the overall demand for raw materials and bolstered the price of oil, minerals, and other commodities. As a result, resource-rich countries in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa have experienced an important economic bonanza and reduced levels of poverty and inequality. However, for communities living near the extractive frontier, mining has caused serious environmental degradation, and many in these communities have protested local extractive industries.

Departing from the existing literature, The Roots of Engagement examines the individual-level factors that shape a person's opinions over resource extraction. It looks at what makes some individuals accept extractive activities close to their homes, while other individuals strongly reject them. Moreover, it asks why some individuals focus on the potential benefits of employment and local development, while other individuals focus on the defense of livelihoods and the ecological risks associated with mining.

Moisés Arce, Michael S. Hendricks, and Marc S. Polizzi find that an individual's level of social engagement--defined by a person's participation in local organizations--is critical for understanding these differences. The greater the participation in local organizations, they argue, the greater the rejection of proposed mining activities. This individual-level approach unveils the fluidity of attitudes over resource extraction, even in areas that appear uniformly opposed to mining; the processes of attitude formation rooted in micro-politics and collective behaviors; and a cross-regional perspective on campaigns against mining. Based on three original public opinion surveys and interviews conducted in Tía María in Peru, Fuleni in South Africa, and Rancho Grande in Nicaragua, The Roots of Engagement is the first book to measure social engagement in organizations and its connection to attitudes about extraction and development.