ABSTRACT
In this chapter, which serves to provide the background for our case study of Postmasburg, we review the various bodies of international and South African literature dealing with the effects on mining communities of mining growth and decline. Though, initially, the international research came mostly from North America, it has more recently been dominated by Australian case studies. We devote attention to social implications, health and well-being, crime, indigenous communities, the implications of the new labour regime, housing and infrastructure, and to the local economic development of mining growth. The chapter further touches on the implications of decline and, in conclusion, there is an assessment of the degrees of similarity/difference between international mining towns and those in South Africa.
