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Getting the Gold Out of the Ground: Social Constraints on Technical Capacity in S outh A frican Deep‐Level Mining
Author(s) -
Moodie T. Dunbar
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of historical sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.186
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1467-6443
pISSN - 0952-1909
DOI - 10.1111/johs.12073
Subject(s) - politics , simple (philosophy) , gold mining , data science , computer science , mining engineering , engineering , political science , chemistry , law , epistemology , philosophy
Abstract This paper examines the limits and pressures imposed on S outh A frican deep‐level mining technology by changing economic and socio‐political constraints that have obliged mining engineers to adapt their practices of “getting gold out of the ground.” Initially employing straight‐forward arguments about the importance of means for achieving ends, the paper eventually raises questions that complicate our understanding of practices that underlie simple conceptions of mining technology.