Mining and Social Transformation in Africa: Mineralizing and Democratizing Trends in Artisanal Production

After more than three decades of economic malaise, many African countries are experiencing an upsurge in their economic fortunes linked to the booming international market for minerals. Spurred by the shrinking viability of peasant agriculture, rural dwellers have been engaged in a massive search for alternative livelihoods, one of the most lucrative being artisanal mining.

While a burgeoning literature is acknowledging the spread of artisanal mining, this book is the first to probe its soc...