Strangers in African societies

335 Pages·1979·14.52 MB·English

by  William A. Shack

Editbeyd
A.
WilliaSmh ack
and
P.
EllioStkti nner
EDITED BY WILLIAM A. SHACK
Strangienr s
ContributbiyoH nesr scheSlullel ivCahna llenor,
DonalNd. L evinAel,iA .M azrui,
ChristOibnbeo , MargPaerielt,
ElliPo.tS tk inneAri,d anS outhall,
SPONSOREDT HEJ OINCTO MMITTEE
BY
SOCIASLC IENCREE SEARCH COUNCIL AND THE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
Maetr iparlo tegipdoodr e rechdoeas u tor
AND ELL I 0 T T SKPI.N NER
AfricaSno cieties
JeremSy.E adeJse,s sica KNuepi0el.r L,e ighton,
RuthS chachMtoerrg enthau,
EniSdc hildkrWoiultl,iA a.m S hack,
Niara SudaMroknaiscaWa,i lson
ON AFRICANS TUDIESO F THE
AMERICANC OUNCILO F LEARNEDS OCIETIES
BERKELEY LOS ANGELES LONDON
• •
M atenparlo tegipdoodr e rechdoeas u otr
UniverosfiC tayl ifoPresrnsi a
BerkealnedyL os AngeClaelsi,f ornia
UniversoiftC ya lifoPrnresisa, L td.
LondoEnn,g land
Copyri©g h1t9 7b9y
TheR egenotfts h eU niverosfiC tayl ifornia
ISBN0 -520-03458-9
LibraorfCy o ngreCsast alCoagr dN umber7:7 -73501
Printientd h eU nitSetda toefAs m erica
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Maetr iparlo tegipdoodr e recdheoa su tor
Contents
The Contributors vii
Preface jx
IntroducbtyiW oinl liAa.m S hack 1
ParIt.S immealn dt heS trangienAr f rica
Chapter
1.S immealt a DistanOcne t:h eH istoaryn dS ystemaotfit chse
Socioloofgyt heS trangbeyDr o nalNd. L evine 21
2.Op en Systeamnsd C losedB oundarTihese:R ituParlo ceosfs
StrangReerl atiionnN se w AfricSatna tbeysW illiAa.mS hack3 7
ParItI H.i storPircoacle sasnedsS trangeRrosl'e s
3.S trangersi nA fricRae:f lectioNnysa koynu saN,g unia,n d
SothEov idenbcyeM onicWai lson 51
4.S trangersa sC oloniIanlt ermediaTrhieeD sa:h omeyainns
FrancophAofnrei bcyaH erscheSlullel iCvhaanl lenor 67
5.T heP olitEiccoanlo moyf a StrangPeorp ulatTihoenL :e banese
ofS ierLreao nbey N ei0l. Leighton 85
6.S trangNeartsi,o nalsM,u latnidn atiionnC aolnst emporary
AfribcyaR uthS chachMtoerrg enthau 105
ParIItI .S peciaSlt udiGehsa:n a
7.H ostR eactioAnlsi:e innsG hanab yM argarPeeti l 123
8.F romS trangetroA lieTnh:e S ocio-PolHiitsitcooaryfl t he
Nigerian Yorubina G hana1,9 00-197b0y N iarSau darkasa1 41
9.K inshainpd E ntrepreneaumrosnhgiY po rubian N orthern
Ghanab yJ eremSy. Eades 169
10.T heI deoloogfRy e gionaliinGs hma nab yE niSdc hildkro1u8t3
PartI V.Specia l Studies:
Uganda
11.W hitSet rangaenrdsT heiRre ligini oEna sAtf riacnad
Madagascar byA idaSno uthall 211
12.V illage StrangeirnsB uganda SociebtyyC hristine Obb2o2 7
13." Goana"n d" Asiainn"U ganda:A n AnalysoifRs a ciIadle ntity
andC ultuCraatleg oribeyJs e ssiKcuap er 243
14.C asualotifae nsU nderdevelColpaesSdst ructTuhreeE :x pul­
sioonf L uoW orkerasn dA siaBno urgeoifsrioemU ganda
byA liA .M azrui 261
ConclusiboyEn lsl iPo.tS tk inner 279
Bibliography 289
Index 303
Maetr iparlo tegipdoodr e recdheoa su tor
TheC ontributors
HerscheSlullel iCvhaanl lenfoorr,m erAlsys istParnotf esosfoP ro litical
ScienHcuen,t eCro lleNgeew,Y orkC ityi,sw itthh Ceo mmittoenIe n ter­
natioRnealla tiUonnist,eS dt atCeosn gress.
JeremSy.E adeissL ectuirne rA nthropaotDl aorgwyi n ColUlneigvee,r ­
sitoyfK entC,a nterbuErnyg,l and.
JessiKcuap eirs r esidiennL te idetnh,eN etherlands.
Nei0l. L eightiosAn s sociPartoef es·soofPr o litSicciaeln actte h Uen iver­
sitoyfM ichigFalni,n t.
DonalNd. L evinPer,o fesosfSo orc ioloigsay tt, h Uen iverosfiCt hyi cago.
Ali A.M azruii s Professor Socfi ePnoaclttei h tUein ciavle rsoifMt iyc hi­
gan.
RuthSc hachteMro rgenthParuo,f esosfoP ro litiSccaile ncBer,a ndeis
Universiiswt iyt,th h eU niteSdt atMeiss sitoont heU niteNda tions.
ChristOibnbeo i si nt he DepartomfAe nntth ropolUongiyv,e rsoift y
Wisconsin.
MargarPeeilt, Readeirn S ociologayt,t hieCs e nteorfW est African
StudiUensi,v ersoifBt iyr minghEanmg,l and.
EniSdc hildkriosuA ts sociCautrea tfoorAr f ricAam,e ricMauns eumo f
NaturHails tory.
William SAh.a ciksP rofesosfAo nrt hropolUongiyv,e rsoifCt ayl ifornia
atB erkeley.
ElliPo.tS tk inniesrF ranBzo asP rofesosfoA rn thropolCooglyu,m bia
University.
AidaSno uthall is oPfrA onftehsrsoopro laottg hyeU niversoifWt iys ­
consin.
NiarSau darkaissPa r ofesosfAo nrt hropolUongiyv,e rsoifMt iyc higan.
MonicWai lsoinsE meritPurso fesosfoS ro ciAanlt hropolUongiyv,e rsity
ofC apeT own.
vii
Maetr iparlo tegipdoodr e recdheoa su tor
Preface
T
hee ssaiynst hibso okw eref irpsrte senattea dn i nterdisciplinary
symposisupmo nsorbeydt heJ oinCto mmittoeneA fricoaft he
SociaSlc ienRcees earCcohu ncainld t heA mericCaonu ncoiflL earned
Societaitet sh,eS mithsonCioannf ereCnecnet eBre,l monMta,r yland,
16-1O9c tob1e9r7 4W.i lliSahma ckt,h ean m embeorf t heC ommittee,
propostehdet hemoef t hes ymposiaunmd i nvitaescd o chairmEalnl iott
Skinnewrh,o ,a decadeea rlihearda, d drestsheepd r obloefmt hep osi­
tioonf s trangienWr ess tA frica.
By1 974m,a nyn ewA fricsatna theasdt akelne gsatle ptsoa lttehre
privilseogceidaa nld e conompiocs ititohnasAt f ricaannd n on-African
strangsetriesln lj oyiendt hesiorc ietmiaesi,n lay l egaocfyt hec olonial
eraW.h eren ewl egislwaatsip orno mulgastterda,n goefrtsew ne rmea n­
datefdo re xpatritaott ihoenhi orm elanPdusb.l iinct erients htep ligohft
strangienAr fsr iwcaas a ttracmtaeidn lbyyt heex pulsoifo nA sians from
UgandaB.u tw orldwipdueb licsiutryr oundtihnefg o rceefxuold us of
UgandaAns ianosv ershadoswiemdi leavre notfsf arg reatmearg nitude
ino ther poaftr htes conttihnapetrn etc edtehde EAafsrti csaint uation by
severyaela rWsh.a tn owi so ftesne eans a c ontemporhaurmya np roblem
isi,n m attoefrf acrto,o tienda ntiqupiteyr,h adpast itnogt heo rigionfs
city-stIantt ewse.n tieth-cAefnrtiuctrahy e soacnidal le gpaols itoifo n
stranghearsbs e comien creaspirnegclayr isotursa,i npionlgi trieclaalt ions
betweAefnr icsatna taensdg overnmenotust sitdhece o ntinoefAn ftr ica.
How Africgaonv ernmennotwsa dayasn di nt hpea shta vaed drestsheed
questi"ownh oi sa strangeprr?o"vo kiendt heC ommittceoen siderable
interienss te eitnhge p roblem aiinar se d broaandi nterdisciplinary
foruma sp ossible.
Thea bsenocfel itersacrhyo lfarrosm d iscussoifao sny mposium
subjewchto steh emcea nb et racteode arly GarnedeR ko manl iterature
mighbte c onsidears eedr ious weianak nebsosoo kns trangienrA sf,r ica
ore lsewheSroec.ia anld p olitsicciiaeln ccaenso nlbye neffriotm intellec­
tuailn sigchatsostn t hes tudoyfs ociebtyys cholianrh su manisttriacd i­
tionWse. r ecogntihzioesb violuasc okf r epresentbayht uimoann iisnt s
thceo ntributions hpeurbeal,ni dws ehr eedg ret that itnopv airttaitci­ons
ipatient hes ymposiwuemr en ecessarreisltyr icwtietdhf ,i rpsrti ority
assignetdo s cholawrhsos ec ontributwiooulndsb e primarily ethno­
graphiinoc r ientaatnidwo hno h adf irsthfainedl d expienrA iferniccea .
Ita lswoo ulhda veb eeno fs ocisacli enicnet erteosb tr oadetnh ec om­
paratisvceo poef e nquitroyi nclusdteu dioefss trangienrA sf rican
socientoiter se preseinntt ehdic so llectmioosnts, t rikitnhgeRl eyp ublic
ofS outAhf ricHae.r et hew hite-domignoavteerndm enitm'psl ementa-
ix
Maetr iparlo tegipdoodr e recdheoa su tor
X PREFACE
tioonf t heB antustpaonl ichya sl egaldleys ignabtleadc Akf ricaanss
"strangetrhse"oi wrin nh omeland. aTnhdeo steh earp paresnhto rtcom­
ingisn evitaabrliys e wshcehno lmaortsi vatbeydd ifferdeinstc iplinary
persuascioomnest ogethteoar d drepsrso bleomfsc ommoni nterest.
Nonetheltehssesy ,m posiautm Belmnoontot n lmya de poslsiivbelileny ­
tellecdteubaaltb ee twepeonl itsicciaeln teicsotnso,m issotcsi,o loagnids ts
sociaanlt hropoloOgfie sqtusa.il f,n ot moirmep,o rtantcheis,sy mpo­
siumw as,w e thinkt,h ef irsscth olaurnldye rtaktione gx aminien
historaincdac lr oss-cupletrusrpaelc tthiesv oec iaanld political condi­
tiownsh ichha vaef fecttheepd o sitoifos nt rangienAr fsr icsaonc ieitni es
thep ositn dependeernaca,es w elals i np astti meAsn.d f ort hiosp por­
tuniwtey o wet hanktsom any.
Thankfsi rtsott heJ oinCto mmittoeneA frifcoar tehnetihru siasti�
receptoifto hne p roposbaySl h acfko trh ec onferefnocwrei ;t hotuhte ir
scholaarnldfy i nancsiuaplp ortth,ap tr ospecwtouusl hda veb ecomae
mattoefrh istorrieccoarlid n t heC ommittee's mCionmumtietstm.ee em ­
berpsa rticipianat lecldo nferesnecses iolnesn,d itnogt hed iscussions
theierx pertdiesrei vferdo m reseoanr rcehl atperdo bleimnsA frica,
therecblya rifayr ianngg oeft heoretiiscsaurlea si siend tphree liminary
paperosft hec ontribuWteo arrse.m ostg ratetfouD lr .A licMeo rton,
theSnoc iaSlc ienRcees earCcohu ncsitla mfefm betro t hCeo mmittfeeo,r
thei nvaluasbelrev irceen derienad r rangtihnecg o nfereanncdte e nding
tom atteorfds e taiBle lamto natn,d fsoerr viansrg a pportefuro trh sees­
siontsh,ec arefruelc oorfdw hicahi ded consiidnwe rriatbiltnyhg eI n tro­
ductioPnr.o fesEsloirz abCeotlhs okni ndlrye aad ne arldirearf otft he
Introducatnidow ne, h opet hef inal vedroseijsou ns ttioche e rs everal
criticcoamlm entwsh,i chha veb eeinn corporattheedr eivni siTohnes .
secretasrtiaoafflft heI nstitoufI tnet ernatioSntauld iaetts h eU niversity
ofC alifornBiear,k elaesys,i sitnep dr epartihnemg a nuscriinpf otr mf or
thep rintweirt,th h eiurs uadli ligencdei sapnadt Mcrh..G eneT anke's
editoarsisails twaansci en dispenisnas bhlaep itnhgec ollecotfie osns ays
intaon i ntegravtoeldu mea,n dt oh imw e aree speciianldleyb tAe d.
grant-in-aawiadr debdy theJ oinCto mmittoene A fricuan derwrote
mucho ft hee ditorcioasoltf p ublication.
Finalwleyt ,h antkh ec ontributtot ohribsso okf oirn terrutphteiinrg
professisocnhaeld utloeg sr aciouasclcyeo putr i nvitattoit ohnec onfer­
enceA.n d we aree specigarlaltye tfouP lr ofesMsoonri cWai lsoDnr,.
JeremEya deasn dD r.M argarPeeti wlh,o t ravegrleeadtd istantcole esn d
thekinro wledagnede xperieinnAc fer ica tomwaakridnt gh eco nference
a success.
WILLIAM A. SHACK ELLIOTIP . SKINNER
UniversoifCt ayl ifornia ColumbUinai versity
atB erkeley
20F ebruary1 978
Mate riparlo tegidpoo dr erechdoesa utor
Introduction
Willi.aAmS. ha ck
S
trangeirnAs f ricasno cietliieksse,t rangeevresr ywhearreea, s
sociaalmlbyi guoausts h ew ord" stranigmeprl"i Aelsi.e inn,t ruder,
interlofpoerre,i gnnoevru,hs o mo,n ewcomeirm,m igragnute,s otu,t ­
sideoru,t landaenrds, o o n-alalr ec onvenileanbtet lhsas to cigarlo ups
habituaalplpylt yo p ersownhso ,b y reasoonfsc ustolma,n guaogre ,
sociraoll set,a nodn t hem argionfs ocieLtiyt.e rmaerny, t akiandgv an­
tagoef t hiasm biguihtayv,eo ften utsheewd o rd" stranagsea r m"e ta­
phoricdaelv iccea,s ticnhga ractienrt sh eir noavnedld sr amas in
shadowyi,l l-defsionceidra oll esS.h akespeasrter'asn gaeprp eared
variouassla y w omani nH enryV I,Pa rIt, a Jewi nT heM erchaonft
VenicaeM ,o ori nO thelalnod,a N ewW orl"ds avagienT" h eT empest.'
RalpEhll isoinnT, h eI nvisMiabnl,ec reataenad r chetysptarla ngwehro,
by his woarnddsd eedasr ticultahtese odc ibaolu ndarairetsi ficially
separatbilancgak n dw hitAem ericaWnosr.d ss ucahs " strangwehri,c"h
arec apabolfeb einugn derstionot dw oo rm ores enseasr,ep otentially
misleadeivnegin n e verydcaoyn versaAtnidow nh.e nt heayr er aisteod
thel evoefls ocial sccoinecnecpeit tbs e,c omeas d iffitcausltkto d efine
precisseo ciuanli tosfa nalyasnidst hea ctoirnst hem.
Ambiguiatbyo undisnG eorgS immelb'rsi eefs saeyn tit"lDeedr
Fremde("' ThSet range1r9,08") ,w hichp rovidtehse s ociological
framewofrokrt hec ollecotfip oanp erisnt hivso lum2 eT.h es tranger,
Simmewlr ote",i fsi xewdi thian p articsuplaatri cailr colrew ,i thian
grouwph osbeo undaraireess i miltaosr p atibaolu ndarBiuetsh .i pso si­
tioinn t higsr ouipsd etermined, esbsyet nhtefi aactlthl ayht,e h asn ot
belongteoid tf romt hbee ginnitnhgah,te i mporqtusa liitnietisotw hich
don ota,n dc annostt,e fmr omt he griotuspe lHfe. s"a yasl stoh a"tt he
strang.e.r.i sa ne lemeonftt he griotuspe Hlifsp. o sitaisoa n f ull­
fledgmeedm beirn volvbeotsbh e inogu tsiidtae n dc onfronitti.An"ng d
so, "ino fsb peiitniegn organiacpaplelnyd teodi tt,h es tranigsey ert a n
organmiecm berof t heg roupT.h"u st hec haracteurniisttoyif ct he
stranger's ipsto hsa"itit itisc o onm posoefdc ertmaiena suroefns e arness
andd istance."3
1.L .A . FiedlTehreS, t rangienS rh akespeare.
by
2.G . SimmSeolz,i olopgpi.6e 8,5 -691t; rans.R .E .P arak ndE .W . BurgeIsnst,r o­
ductitoont heS ciencSeo coife ptpy.,32 2-32S7ee. alsKo. W olffT,h eS ocioloofg yG eorg
Simmep/p,. 402-4D0.8 L;e vinOen, IndividaunadlS iotcyiF aolr msp,p .1 43-149.
3.W olffp,p .4 02,40 3,4 08.
1
Mate riparlo tegidpoo rd erechdoesa utor
2 WILLIAM A. SHAACNKD ELLIOTT P. SKINNER
Betwiaxntdb etweetnh,o ugihso, n loyn ek inodf a mbiguiintS yi m­
mel'cso nceopftt hes trangAenro.t hearm biguiistr ye flecitnte hded if­
ferewnaty sh eu setsh ec oncetpota nalytzheei ndividuaanldit thye
socifaolr mo ft he straInncg eerrt.ap ians sagoef"s D eFrr emde" Simmel
refeexrpsl icittotl hyes tranagsea rni ndividau maelm,b eorf a s ociaagl­
gregateo;t heiprna ssagtehsei mpliscuiggte stiiostn h astt rangceornss ti­
tutae s ocial gArcocuopr.d itnoDg o nalLde vin(eiC nh aptOenre )t,h e
asserttihoasntt rangceornss tiat "uctaet egoofrp ye rsonosr"" m embers
ofa collectiisvo intlyoy"n eo fs ever"aslp rawlainndcg o nfusaisnsgo rt­
mentosf s tatemebnyt sso"c iolowgihsoth sa vet akeSni mmelf'osrm u­
latioansa s p oinotfd epartfuorrae n alyzsioncgi raoll esa nds ocidails ­
tanciens trangeri-nhtoesrta ctIinCo hnasp.t Oenre ,w hicdhe alwsi th the
histoarnyds ystemaotfit chses ocioloofgt yh es tranger, pLoeivnitnse
outt hatth ec onfusaiboonu t what Simmemle aancbtte ugaaalnml oyn g
socioloignit shteUs n iteSdt atweist Rho berPta rkw,h op roductehde
firEsntg litsrha nslat"iDoenFr r oefm deI.n"a • l ateesrs aPya,r akl tered
Simmelc'osn cepwth,i chha dp ertained sptecoia f sioccailtalylyp et,o
explatihneu rban-culetxuprearli eonfcE eusr opeiamnm igrainntt sh e
UniteSdt at5e Wsh.a tS immel choandc eiavsead s ocipahle nomenon,
Parka ndh iss tudenntost,a bEl.yW . Burgeasnsd E vereSttto nequist,
transliantteaod c ultuprhaeln omenSotno.n equnisotwc' lsa ssstiucd y,
TheM arginMaaln ,s etth et onfeo rn umerosuosc iological studies which
borrowewdh atw aso riginally mPiasrrke'asd ionfgS immels'tsr angaesr
as ocitaylp es,h apitnhgec oncetpotb ecome synontyoma or uasc ial and
cultutryaple . Foltlhoewseiean rgl myi sconceptliaotntse,rf -odlalyo wers
ofS immehla vtea ketnh ceo nceopftt h set ranagsea r cateogfop reyr sons
ands hiftiettd oa ppltyo a collect6 iTvhiitasyl .t eraitnim oena ninhga s
carrioevde rto tlheev eolfs tructaunraally sainsdh, a sb ecomteh or­
oughleyn trencihnse ocdi ologisctauld ioefss t rangaenrdts h ehior sts.
Althou"gsht rangiesar n"a mbiguowuosr di,n s ocioloagsiw cealll
asl iteruasrayg ea,n da lthousgohc isacli enthiasvteos f teenx hibited
naiveitnte h etirra nsmutaotfSi iomnm eli'dseo af d erF remdteh,ec on­
cepotf t hes tranrgeemra ionnse o ft he mopsotw erfsuolc iolotgoioclasl
fora nalyztihnesg o ciparlo cesosfei sn dividaunadgl rso upcso nfronting
news ocioarld erNsa.i veatfet earl li,sn otw ithosuotc iological value.
Max Gluckman aorngcueep de rsuasiivnfe alvyoo rft heas sumptoifoa n
certaniani veitnle i mittihnebg o undaroifaes n alystihse,r ehbiyg hlight­
intgh ose spohceinaolm efnoar whidcehe paue nrd erstanidssi onugg h7 t.
4.T ranslaint Peadr ka ndB urgepsps.,3 22-327.
5. R.Pa rEk".,H umanM igratianodnt heM arginMaaln ,A"m ericJaonu rnaolf S oci­
ologvyo,l 33., no.6 (192p8p).8. 8 1-893.
6.F ore xampMl.e T waddleed,. Ex,p ulsioofna M inoriEstsya:y os nU gandan Asians.
7.M .G luckman,C leods.Se,yd s teamnsd OpMeinn dsT:h eL imiotsf N aiveitnyS ocial
Anthropology.
Maetr iparlo tegipdoodr e recdheoa su tor