2009/09/01 by Petra Tschakert · 138 citations
Engineering · Social Sciences · #Archaeology #Digging #Economic growth #Economics #Environmental Justice and Health Disparities #Environmental justice #Flourishing #Geography #Gold mining #Law #License #Mainstream #Mining and Resource Management #Political science #Politics #Redress #Social psychology #Sociology #Water Governance and Infrastructure
paper · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8330.2009.00695.x
published in Antipode 41(4), 706-740 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2009/09/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/26
Abstract: This article explores the concept of “contact zones” to counteract misrecognition and exclusion in the artisanal gold mining sector of Ghana. The large majority of the 300,000–500,000 Ghanaian artisanal miners work without an official license, illegally. Due to their encroachment on corporate concession lands, the use of toxic mercury in the gold extraction process, and the social disruption caused by their migratory activities, these miners are often marginalized and criminalized. Yet, devaluation and misrecognition hamper environmental stewardship and participation in political decision‐making. Through parity‐fostering participatory research, I propose a radical re‐imagination of the sector that encourages agency and flourishing among these ostracized men and women diggers.