Book title: Mines, masters and migrants
Subtitle: Life in a Namibian compound
Author: Robert J. Gordon
Genre: Social Study
Publisher: Ravan Press
Johannesburg, South Africa 1977
ISBN 0869750615 / ISBN 0-86975-061-5
Original softcover, 15 x 21 cm, 276 pages, some b/w photos
Good. Few traces of usage.
Rare book.
Mines, masters and migrants: Life in a Namibian compound describes in fascinating detail the life of black migrant workers in the compound of a Namibian Mine. The attitudes and aspirations of the workers, their methods of coping with a harsh and alien environment, the relationships between black and white on the mine, and the underlying economic pressures which bring about the system of migration, all throw significant light on the wider Southern African canvas. Change is in the air. It appears highly likely that Namibia will become independent within the next few years. The critical question is how to maintain the profitability of the mines which are the backbone of the territory's economy, and at the same time restore humanity to the workers. Given the attention it deserves, this book will help in the achievement of that goal. A work both of rigorous scholarship and warm humanity. Mines, Masters and Migrants is based on Dr. Robert J. Gordon's own fieldwork at a Namibian mine.
Preface
Introduction
The National Framework of Migration
The Formal Organisation of the Mine
The World of the Black Workers
Making Money: the Mine as a Workplace
The Economy of Labor Migration
Leaving the Mine
Concluding Remarks
Appendix A Job Description of Standby Duties
Appendix B Some Case Studies of Migrant Careers
Bibliography
