Contree: 1983 No 13

 

Contents

No. 13, January 1983

Articles


Book reviews

Editorial

The history of a region is to a large extent an account of the economic interaction between man and his natural environment. The success with which the settler discovers, cultivates, and develops the potential of his environment eventually determines much more than his material welfare or poverty: complicated socio-cultural community structures are also directly influenced. It is therefore important that the regional historian should do his utmost to ascertain the economic assets of a region which are permanent and those which are temporary.

In the Northern Cape, for example, extensive stock-farming has from olden times been the factor that has made settlement and survival possible, and this situation should obtain in future. Mining, on the other hand, contributes much to the general prosperity in certain parts especially by providing employment and establishing an infra-structure, but its economic advantages are temporary, and cause great disruption when abandoned.

By studying the effects of long- and short-term operations on the socio-economic life of a region. the regional historian can make a significant contribution to local and central planning.

Redaksioneel

Die geskiedenis van 'n streek is in hoë mate die verhaal van die ekonomiese wisselwerking tussen mens en natuuromgewing. Die sukses waarmee die nedersetter die potensiaal van sy woongebied ontdek, ontgin en ontwikkel, bepaal uiteindelik veel meer as net sy materiële welstand of armoede ook komplekse sosio-kulturele samelewingsverbande word direk daardeur beïnvloed. Dit is daarom belangrik dat die streekhistorikus moeite doen om vas te stel watter ekonomiese bates van die streek redelik permanent en watter betreklik tydelik is.

In Noord-Kaapland, byvoorbeeld, was die ekstensiewe veeboerderybedryf van vroeg af reeds die faktor wat vestiging en oorlewing in hierdie gebied moontlik gemaak het, en dit sal waarskynlik in die toekoms steeds die geval wees. Die mynbedryf, daarenteen, dra in sekere dele van die streek wel grootliks by tot die algemene voorspoed deur onder meer werkverskaffing en infrastruktuurskepping, maar in werklikheid is die tydelike ekonomiese voordele wat die gemeenskap erg ontwrig as dit gestaak word.

Deur 'n studie te maak van die uitwerking wat lang- en korttermynbedrywe op die sosio-ekonomiese lewe in 'n gebied het, kan die streekhistorikus ook ten opsigte van plaaslike en sentrale be:planning 'n belangrike bydrae lewer.

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