M. Larmer, E. Guene, B. Henriet, I. Peša, R. Taylor (eds.), 'Across the Copperbelt: Urban & Social Change in Central Africa’s Borderland Communities' (James Currey, 2021)

The Central African Copperbelt has been central to the study of modernisation and rapid social and political change in Africa. This volume expands on earlier studies by examining the mining communities of Katanga (DR Congo) and Zambia, on both sides of the border, from pre-colonial history to the present and encompassing diverse economic, social and cultural identities and activities. Bringing together scholars from a range of disciplines, the contributors explore the Copperbelt’s sense of identity – expressed in comic strips, football matches and religious teaching, the communities’ precarious and inventive ways of living, and the processes and impact of urbanisation and development, environmental degradation and changing gender relations.

The volume is available Open Access in perpetuity - download PDF file. The physical version of the book will be published in June 2021. See link to publisher’s website. 

This book is based on research that is part of a project that has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no: 681657): ‘Comparing the Copperbelt: Political Culture and Knowledge Production in Central Africa’