Somalia: Economy Without StateIn the wake of the collapse of the Somali government in 1991, a "second" or "informal" economy based on trans-border trade and smuggling is thriving. While focusing primarily on pastoral and agricultural markets, Peter D. Little demonstrates that the Somalis are resilient and opportunistic and that they use their limited resources effectively. While it is true that many Somalis live in the shadow of brutal warlords and lack access to basic health care and education, Little focuses on those who have managed to carve out a productive means of making ends meet under difficult conditions and emphasizes the role of civic culture even when government no longer exists. Exploring questions such as, Does statelessness necessarily mean anarchy and disorder? Do money, international trade, and investment survive without a state? Do pastoralists care about development and social improvement? This book describes the complexity of the Somali situation in the light of international terrorism. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 46
Market actors , both in the West and in Africa , seek to enhance trust by building on existing social relations or what political scientists and economists like to call social capital . This can include relatives , friends , and other ...
3 The Destruction of Rural - Urban relations There have always been well - established links between nomads and the towns . Most nomadic clans had allies within the towns who acted as hosts or emporia in centuries past when the towns ...
In terms of understanding rural - urban relations in the region , the significance of this is that wealthy herders tend to have : ( 1 ) access to larger traders and more lucrative markets ; ( 2 ) some involvement in non - farm ( town ...
What people are saying - Write a review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - thewalkinggirl - LibraryThingArgues that despite political, social, and environmental instability, the Somali society and economy have survived. The author focuses on the Somali borderlands adjacent to Kenya, comparing that ... Read full review
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Bibliographic information
| Title | Somalia: Economy Without State African issues |
| Author | Peter D. Little |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | International African Institute, 2003 |
| ISBN | 0253343623, 9780253343628 |
| Length | 206 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |