From commons to resilience grabbing: Insights from historically-oriented social anthropological research on African peasants. (May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Haller, Tobias
• Is Part Of: Continuity and change. Volume 37:Number 1(2022)
• Page Start: 69
• Page End: 95
• Publication Date: 2022-05
• Subjects: Africa -- Peasants -- Commons -- Grabbing -- Resilience; Social change -- Periodicals; 303.405
• DOI: 10.1017/S026841602200011X
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0268-4160

Abstract

Abstract: This paper aims to show the relevance that institutions governing common-pool resources (CPRs) play in peasant resilience. It outlines nine variables for resilience taken from socio-economic and ecological anthropological theories focusing on subsistence and minimax strategies and used for the comparative historical analysis of African case studies. These include drylands (Morocco, Ghana), semi-arid areas (Sierra Leone, Malawi, Tanzania) and wetlands (Cameroon, Kenya, Zambia). The variables could be found under pre-colonial common property but were no longer operating during colonial and postcolonial institutional change from common to state property and privatisation via land grabbing, leading to commons and resilience grabbing.