Work and Masculinity in Katanga’s Artisanal Mines
This article, based on 16 months of anthropological fieldwork between 2005 and 2012, examines the relationship between work and masculinity among artisanal miners, or creuseurs, in Katanga, the southeastern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It argues that men’s involvement in artisan...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2014-01-01
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| Series: | Africa Spectrum |
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| Online Access: | http://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/afsp/article/view/752 |
| _version_ | 1828524669398941696 |
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| author | Jeroen Cuvelier |
| author_facet | Jeroen Cuvelier |
| author_sort | Jeroen Cuvelier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article, based on 16 months of anthropological fieldwork between 2005 and 2012, examines the relationship between work and masculinity among artisanal miners, or creuseurs, in Katanga, the southeastern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It argues that men’s involvement in artisanal mining should be considered not only as an economic survival strategy but also as an attempt to experiment with new ways of being a man in a context of economic crisis and changing gender relations. Furthermore, the article criticizes the tendency to downplay or underestimate the complexity and diversity of processes of masculine identity construction in Africa’s artisanal-mining areas. In order to do justice to the intricacy of these processes, the article proposes using concepts and insights from the field of masculinity studies and distinguishing between a levelling and a differentiating trend in artisanal miners’ masculinity practices. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T20:51:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-00b0c53e4f4a40fabf022b4853ca8bd4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1868-6869 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T20:51:59Z |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Africa Spectrum |
| spelling | doaj.art-00b0c53e4f4a40fabf022b4853ca8bd42022-12-22T00:51:12ZengSAGE PublishingAfrica Spectrum1868-68692014-01-01492326Work and Masculinity in Katanga’s Artisanal MinesJeroen Cuvelier0University of Ghent, University of WageningenThis article, based on 16 months of anthropological fieldwork between 2005 and 2012, examines the relationship between work and masculinity among artisanal miners, or creuseurs, in Katanga, the southeastern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It argues that men’s involvement in artisanal mining should be considered not only as an economic survival strategy but also as an attempt to experiment with new ways of being a man in a context of economic crisis and changing gender relations. Furthermore, the article criticizes the tendency to downplay or underestimate the complexity and diversity of processes of masculine identity construction in Africa’s artisanal-mining areas. In order to do justice to the intricacy of these processes, the article proposes using concepts and insights from the field of masculinity studies and distinguishing between a levelling and a differentiating trend in artisanal miners’ masculinity practices.http://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/afsp/article/view/752anthropology, gender studiesKatanga, artisanal mining, social change, gender roles, masculinity300, 301, 305, 330Democratic Republic of the Congo, Katangapresent |
| spellingShingle | Jeroen Cuvelier Work and Masculinity in Katanga’s Artisanal Mines Africa Spectrum anthropology, gender studies Katanga, artisanal mining, social change, gender roles, masculinity 300, 301, 305, 330 Democratic Republic of the Congo, Katanga present |
| title | Work and Masculinity in Katanga’s Artisanal Mines |
| title_full | Work and Masculinity in Katanga’s Artisanal Mines |
| title_fullStr | Work and Masculinity in Katanga’s Artisanal Mines |
| title_full_unstemmed | Work and Masculinity in Katanga’s Artisanal Mines |
| title_short | Work and Masculinity in Katanga’s Artisanal Mines |
| title_sort | work and masculinity in katanga s artisanal mines |
| topic | anthropology, gender studies Katanga, artisanal mining, social change, gender roles, masculinity 300, 301, 305, 330 Democratic Republic of the Congo, Katanga present |
| url | http://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/afsp/article/view/752 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeroencuvelier workandmasculinityinkatangasartisanalmines |