Mining, Mobility, and Social Change in the Global South: Regional Perspectives

This volume explores the complex relationship between mining and social change by focusing on the movement of people across space. It introduces historical context and conceptual tools for analyzing the mining-mobility nexus, followed by case study chapters on three regions with significant mining histories. The chapters address the historical-geographical factors shaping mining-related mobilities, the meanings people attach to these movements, and the relations between peoples mobility practices and the flows of other things put in motion by mining, including capital, ideas, technologies, and toxic contamination. The book is of interest to students and scholars of mining, spatial politics, geography, mobility, migration, development, and the social and environmental dimensions of natural resources.

Format: Hardback
Length: 236 pages
Publication date: 22 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive volume delves into the intricate dynamics of human mobility in the context of mining, exploring the hows, whys, conditions, and consequences of people's spatial movements in relation to mining activities. By focusing on spatial mobility, this book aims to provide valuable insights for scholars and policymakers seeking to understand the complex interplay between mining and social change.

The collection begins by providing a historical backdrop and conceptual frameworks for analyzing the mining-mobility nexus. This foundation is then built upon through a series of case study chapters, each focusing on three distinct regions with rich histories of mineral extraction and where mining continues to play a significant role in socio-economic life: the Andes, Central and West Africa, and Melanesia. Authored by experts from various disciplines, including anthropology, development studies, geography, and history, these case study chapters offer in-depth examinations of both large-scale and small-scale mining operations. They explore the historical-geographical factors that shape mining-related mobilities, the meanings that people attach to these movements, and the intricate relationships between peoples mobility practices and the flows of other elements propelled by mining, such as capital, ideas, technologies, and toxic contamination.

The result of this comprehensive analysis is an important volume that offers fresh perspectives on the social geographies and spatial politics of extraction. It will be of immense interest to students and scholars engaged in mining and the extractive industries, spatial politics and geography, mobility and migration, development, and the social and environmental dimensions of natural resources more broadly. By unraveling the complexities of human mobility in the mining context, this book contributes to our understanding of the diverse ways in which mining shapes societies and landscapes, and the challenges and opportunities that arise from these interactions.

Weight: 621g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032321790