Development and the African diaspora : place and the politics of home / Claire Mercer, Ben Page, Martin Evans.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mercer, Claire.

Contributor:

Page, Ben, Dr.

Evans, Martin.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Economic development.

Emigrant remittances.

African diaspora.

Emigration and immigration.

Africa--Emigration and immigration--Economic aspects.

Africa.

African diaspora--Economic aspects.

Emigrant remittances--Africa.

Economic development--Africa.

Community development--Africa.

Community development.

Africa--Economic conditions--1960-.

Economic conditions.

Physical Description:

xiv, 258 pages : maps ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Zed Books, 2008.

Summary:

There has been much recent celebration of the success of African 'civil society' in forging global connections through an ever-growing diaspora. Against the background of such celebrations, this innovative book sheds light on the diasporic networks - 'home associations' - whose economic contributions are being used to develop home. Despite these networks being part of the flow of migrants' resources back to Africa that now outweighs official development assistance, the relationship between the flow of capital and social and political change are still poorly understood. Looking in particular at Cameroon and Tanzania, the authors examine the networks of migrants that have been created by making 'home associations' international. They argue that claims in favour of enlarging 'civil society' in Africa must be placed in the broader context of the political economy of migration and wider debates concerning ethnicity and belonging. They demonstrate both that diasporic development is distinct from mainstream development, and that it is an uneven historical process in which some 'homes' are better placed to take advantage of global connections than others. In doing so, the book engages critically with the current enthusiasm among policy-makers for treating the African diaspora as an untapped resource for combating poverty. Its focus on diasporic networks, rather than private remittances, reveals the particular successes and challenges diasporas face in acting as a group, not least in mobilising members of the diaspora to fulfill obligations to home.

Contents:

Currencies vi

Part 1 Why home associations matter

1 Home associations: between political belonging and moral conviviality 3

2 Contexxts and comparisons 32

3 Rethinking research on African diasporas and development 49

Part 2 The history and structure of home associations

4 Home associations and the nation in Cameroon 77

5 Home associations and the nation in Tanzania 103

Part 3 The developmental and political work of home associations

6 Welfare and social support in the diaspora 133

7 Modernizing burial and death celebrations 157

8 Education and inequality 179

9 Infrastructure and accountability 205

Part 4 Home associations, migration and development.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [236]-251) and index.

ISBN:

9781842779002

1842779001

9781842779019

184277901X

OCLC:

232980981