Researching Africa south of the Sahara: a sociologist's perspective

'Der Beitrag präsentiert Schlüsselkonzepte für soziologische Forschung in Afrika, die zugleich als bedeutsam für die allgemeinsoziologische Debatte angesehen werden. Für die Integration des bereits vorhandenen Fallstudienwissens benötigen wir einen vergleichenden Ansatz. Dieser bietet die Chance die Falle zwischen vereinfachenden Generalisierungen über Afrika als Ganzes und der Begrenzung auf vereinzelte Fallstudien zu überwinden. Zwei Forschungsfelder werden zur Umsetzung des vergleichenden Ansatzes vorgeschlagen. Erstens, der Staat in Afrika sollte als gesellschaftliche Institution, die sich im Alltag konstitutiert, verstanden werden. Zweitens sollte die Soziologie Kategorien zur Beschreibung sozialer Differenzierung entwickeln. Denn bislang werden in den Afrikastudien veraltete Konzepte von Klasse und Schicht verwendet, die weit hinter dem aktuellen Stand der Forschung in der Soziologie zurück bleiben. Als begriffliche Klammer zur Verbindung von Afrikaforschung mit der theoretischen Soziologie können 'Unsicherheit' und 'reflexive Moderne' dienen.' (Autorenreferat)'This paper presents key concepts for sociological research in Africa considered important for a wider sociological debate. For the integration of our already given knowledge based on case studies we need a comparative approach. This offers the chance to overcome the trap between simplifying generalizations on Africa as a whole and the restriction of the analysis of stand-alone case studies. Two fields of research are proposed to implement the comparative approach. First, the African state shall be understood as a societal institution that is constituted in every day life. Second, sociology shall develop useful categories to describe social differentiation in African societies. African studies still use outdated concepts of class and strata and ignores the conceptual development in sociology. 'Uncertainty' and 'reflexive modernity' may work as a kind of conceptual umbrella to link research on Africa with the theoretical sociological debate.' (author's abstract)

What is "Middle Class"? In Search for an Appropriate Concept

In the current debate the middle class of the Global South is identified as a new group of consumers and it is seen as the carrier of democratic values and societal progress. But we know that protagonists of a liberal democratic opposition as well as followers of radical religious groups and supporters of the conservative authoritarian regimes are all part of the middle class. Obviously the middle class is not homogenous. Is the concept of middle class useful under these conditions? Are concepts of socio-cultural differentiation such as milieus or lifestyles applicable in the Global South even when cross-cutting elements like religion and ethnic identity play a much more important role than in Europe

Assessing participation in agricultural research projects: an analytical framework

Recent discourse in the field of agricultural research has focused on how to assess and optimize the use of participatory approaches. In this paper, we propose a new Analytical Framework for the Assessment of Participatory Agricultural Research (AFAPAR) that seeks to evaluate participatory research elements along different dimensions and over several research phases and thus takes into account the complexity and dynamics of agricultural research projects. Empirical data from a long-term collaborative research program on ?Sustainable Land Use and Rural Development in Mountainous Regions of Southeast Asia? (The Uplands Program ? SFB 564) are used to explore the potential and shortcomings of AFAPAR. Findings suggest that while there is a need for further refinement, the analytical framework provides a sound basis for a differentiated assessment of participatory approaches in agricultural research that goes beyond the existing one-dimensional typologies of participatory research with their inherent claim of ?the more participation, the better?

One or many middle class (es) in Kenya? Towards an analytical frame for distinguishing subgroups

The current debate considers the emerging African middle class as an economic and political factor that stabilizes economic growth and that strives for democracy. This debate implies that the middle class is quite homogeneous. However, we know from industrialized countries that the middle class is sociocultural differentiated. How is this in Africa? To identify traits and groups of middle classes in Africa we adapt a multi-layered framework. The focus are (socio-)cultural differences among milieus of urban middle classes in Kenya. The framework modifies Bourdieu´s sociology by differing the areas of analysis social structure, division of labor, culture, historic socio-culture and influences of a city and of a region The adaptation of this framework will be exemplified by an exemplary analysis of the milieu of Young Professionals in Nairobi

When the post-revolutionary state decentralizes: the reorganization of political structures and administration in Mozambique

Os autores deste artigo situam-se numa perspectiva analítica que define o clientelismo em África como um recurso potencial para a participação e responsabilização política, a fim de reflectir sobre a lógica da descentralização em Moçambique nas condições do falhanço social e económico do projecto revolucionário da Frelimo. Nos últimos quinze anos, desde que se introduziu um programa de reajustamento estrutural sob os auspícios do FMI e do Banco Mundial, Moçambique tem estado a tentar desmantelar o seu altamente centralizado processo político, num contexto em que o auxílio ao desenvolvimento tem registado uma influência crescente no funcionamento das instituições do Estado.The authors of this article draw from an analytical perspective which defines clientelism in Africa as a potential resource for political participation and accountability, in order to then discuss the logic of decentralization in Mozambique under the conditions of the economic and social failure of Frelimo's revolutionary project. Over the past fifteen years, since the introduction of a structural adjustment project under the auspices of the IMF and the World Bank, Mozambique has been attempting to dismantle its highly centralized political process against the background of an ever increasing influence of development aid on the functioning of state institutions.Les auteurs de cet article se situent dans une perspective analytique qui définit le clientelisme en Afrique come une ressource potentielle pour la participation et responsabilisation politique, pour réfléchir dans cette perspective sur la décentralization au Moçambique dans les conditions de la faillite sociale et économique du project révolutionnaire de la Frelimo. Dans les derniers quinze ans, pendant qu'était introduit un programme d'ajustement structurel sous les auspices du FMI et de la Banque Mondiale, Moçambique a essayé le démantèlement de son processus politique hautement centralisé, dans un contexte où l'aide au développement a connu une influence croissante dans le fonctionnement des institutions de l'État