Migrants, Forests and Houses: The Political Ecology of Architectural Change in Hobeni and Cwebe, South Africa

Abstract

Examining architectural continuity and change over a century in two communities in South Africa's Eastern Cape, this paper reassesses the assertion that migration, wage labor, and capitalism lead to major architectural changes and the adoption of extra-local purchased building materials. Labor migration was widespread here by the early 20th century, but houses were built from local materials until the 21st century. The pace and trajectories of architectural change in Hobeni and Cwebe have been contingently related to the stability or dynamism of labor migration, migrant cultures of consumption, access to building materials from local forests and distant markets, and intra-household control of resources. Illustrating interconnections between processes across household, local, regional, and national scales, the paper highlights the value of a political ecology approach to architectural change.