A rural society between liberalism and cooperativism
The analysis proposed here is the result of field surveys carried out between 1956 and 1970 in the Republic of Niger. It concerns a population of sedentary farmers settled in the department of Maradi, on the frontier between Niger and Nigeria at the southern boarder of Sahara. In a normal year, the rainfall is sufficient for millet and groundnuts to be cultivated. The rainfall occurs in a single season of 4 & 6 months. However, the presence of groundwater enables off-season crops to be grown in a valley located within the sandy undulating plateau which dominates the landscape: the valley of the Gulbi of Maradi. This valley is the channel of a wadi which flows in the rainy season. Its soil conditions and hydrography are different from those of the plateau. The region is wooded, containing mainly thorn-brushes. The decline of this climate, following the failure of the official formulas, was reflected in the decline of the experiments in question. These experiments give us a better understanding of the possibilities for the societies concerned to accept new formulas being tried out in an atmosphere of crisis of both traditional and modern, economic structures. On the other hand, they show us some of the reasons for the mishaps of the promoters of official formulas, in particular an imperfect knowledge of the local socio-economic structures and. the development of new "classes" based on economic foundations other than that of production.
| Format: | Reports biblioteca |
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| Language: | eng |
| Published: |
1971-11
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