Everyday Exploitation: Autonomy and Accumulation in the Mines of Madagascar
Join AFAS' visiting lecturer, Brian Klein, for an engaging exploration of Madagascar’s mineral fields as landscapes of both opportunity and vulnerability. Focusing on the gold diggings of Betsiaka in the island's far northwest, Klein delves into the everyday practices that Malagasy artisanal miners use to secure and sustain access to gold, which serves as a foundation for extended social reproduction. He also examines the mechanisms through which various elites and capital investors extract value from these rural laborers, shedding light on the complex dynamics of labor, power, and resources.
Brian Ikaika Klein is an assistant professor at the University of Michigan, jointly appointed in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies and the Program in the Environment. He is a political ecologist and critical human geographer interested in environmental governance, resource politics, and rural development in Africa with a particular focus on Madagascar. He holds a PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from UC Berkeley.
