Mobility is the most important response by the inhabitants of the Sahel to climatic adversity. This 'condition sah‚lienne', characterized by unstable climatic circumstances, irregular rainfall... Show moreMobility is the most important response by the inhabitants of the Sahel to climatic adversity. This 'condition sah‚lienne', characterized by unstable climatic circumstances, irregular rainfall patterns and periods of drought, has an important influence on people's decisionmaking processes regarding their livelihood. Migration studies mainly focus on labour migration to urban areas. Although mobility is part of the repertoire of Sahelian people, the form it takes varies considerably between social groups and individuals, and over time. In this article the authors focus on a neglected and almost invisible category of rural-rural migrants in the Sahel, the Fulbe pastoral people and their developments over the last three decades and the economic and social conditions in which they find themselves. It concludes that these rural-rural migrations are deeply engrained in cultural patterns in West Africa, exemplified by specific institutions for dealing with hosts and strangers. However, mobility is often not a planned process, and all kinds of survival strategies are used in a very flexible manner. The phenomenon has given rise to a specific character of cultural dynamics and ways of defining identity for the people involved. Notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract] Show less
Mobility is an essential feature of the Fulbe lifestyle. This article deals with Fulbe migration into the Manden area of Mali, where they have become the neighbours of Mande populations in various... Show moreMobility is an essential feature of the Fulbe lifestyle. This article deals with Fulbe migration into the Manden area of Mali, where they have become the neighbours of Mande populations in various qualities - as cattle herders working for Mande cultivators, as (former) rulers of Futa Jallon, as sedentary cultivators, and as traders. The article focuses on the migration of two Fulbe groups originating from central Mali, who have recently moved southward into Mande: the Jallube from the Hayre, and the Fittoobe from Duma. Although both groups have a long history of mobility and displacement, this has not always been an easy process. Their mobility increasingly takes the character of a 'forced displacement' resulting from drought and decreasing chances of survival in their homeland areas. Some of the families the authors encountered in the 1990s might be defined as displaced people, while some of those left behind might be labelled 'destitute'. The authors show how this has led to ambiguous attitudes among migrants vis-…-vis their kinsmen and their home areas. After a general description of the Fulbe and their mobility in central Mali, the authors discuss a number of case studies. They end with some observations on the migration process itself and its implications for migrants. Bibliogr., notes, ref. Show less
In deze bijdrage verkent de auteur de problematiek van chaos en domesticatie in het kader van ruimtelijke verplaatsing bij twee samenlevingen waar hij onderzoek verricht heeft: de Nkoja op het... Show moreIn deze bijdrage verkent de auteur de problematiek van chaos en domesticatie in het kader van ruimtelijke verplaatsing bij twee samenlevingen waar hij onderzoek verricht heeft: de Nkoja op het platteland van Zambia en de inwoners van Francistown, een middengrote stad in Botswana. Nkoja dorpen zijn tijdelijke conglomeraties van betrekkelijke vreemden die zich in hun onderlinge betrekkingen voortdurend bewust zijn van het optionele aspect van hun samenleven en strategisch uitzien naar mogelijkheden om, vooral door intra-rurale verhuizing, hun persoonlijke zekerheid te verbeteren. De chaos van hun individuele strevingen wordt getemd door het besef dat men gebruik maakt van dezelfde hulpbronnen, hetgeen co”rdinatie en overleg noodzakelijk maakt. Francistown is een centrum van verplaatsing. De toestroom van stedelijke migranten leidde tot een jaarlijkse groei van c. 8 procent in het laatste decennium. De spontane 'squatter' wijken zijn vanaf het eind van de jaren 70 gesaneerd en een deel van de bevolking is overgebracht naar nieuwe 'site-and-service' wijken. Losgeweekt uit hun eerdere sociale verbanden, worden zij hier geconfronteerd met een sociale chaos die zich vooralsnog moeilijk temmen laat. Noten Show less
