214 Ayele, N. [Negussay Ayele].
The socio-political impact of semi-arid ecology: The case of the Horn of Africa.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 295-321. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
Examines the relationship between the social and political institutions, behavioural patterns and activities of the Somali people who inhabit that part of the Horn of Africa that forms Somalia and the Ogaden in Ethiopia, on one hand, and their nomadic or pastoral transhumance movements, which is dictated by the semi-arid condition of their habitat, on the other hand, with particular reference to the annual cycle of migratory patterns in relation to the prevailing ecological conditions of climate, vegetation, water and pasture throughout the year; social structures that are characterized by internal segregation and segmentation of clan families into small functional units known as die-paying and which are bound by fluid contractual arrangements to pay and receive payments following loss of life or damage to property by or on a member and thus provide "relative stability"; role played by force in the political life of Somali nomadic societies whereby resort to fighting in order to protect or wrest control of scarce resources is considered proper; lack of any kind of a clearly defined concept of fixed territory or political boundaries that has resulted in continous waves of expansion and conquest that have extended Somali control from the coast to a large part of the Horn in the past as well in long-term shifting and expanding migratory settlement patterns. Both of the latter two have created difficulties to the international relations between Ethiopia and Somalia in modern times as a consequence of the latter's quest for territorial expansion and the formation of Greater Somalia, which has resulted in armed conflict between the two.
215 Chanda, Raban
Desertification in Africa: A result of reduced resilience of arid ecosystems.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.) p. 1-12. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
After a brief definition of desertification and a summary of the commonly advanced causes that lead to the process, the paper outlines the main features of Holling's concept of "resilience" (measure of the persistence of systems and of their ability to absorb change and disturbances and still maintain the same relationships between populations and variables), and examines its usefulness in explaining the causes of desertification in East Africa. Notes the adaptation of the biophysical components (plants, animals and nomadic pastoral system of production) of arid and semi-arid ecosystems to the infrequent, discrete and unpredictable nature of water input, which is the main constraint as well as driving element in such ecosystems; the hitherto existence of nomads and their animals in equilibrium with the environment provided that there was an extensive area for pastoral production and normal climatic conditions; recent external interferences to nomadic systems that have been caused by the creation of international boundries and have led to the concentration of pastoralists into smaller areas; as well as the expansion of veterinary services without a concomitant increase in livestock offtake, which has led to an increase in the number of animals and the stress on the biophysical environment. The cumulative effects of all of the above has been increased desertification in arid and semi-arid regions.
216 Gebre-Egziabher, T.-B.; Edwards, Sue B. [Tewolde-Berhan Gebre-Egziabher].
Ecological problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Ethiopia.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 13-33. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
After a brief review of the nature and ecological consequences of semi-aridity, the paper outlines two important problems of semi-arid areas in Ethiopia, viz., feudal mentality of the inhabitants which is opposed to change and which passively accepts natural phenomenon, and environmental degradation and desertification caused by population increases beyond the carrying capacity of the resources. It then discusses the development prospects of these areas in relation to the country's new socialist orientation and the role of peasant associations as units of development. Concludes with a long list of short- and long-term measures for developing the quality of life of the pastoral inhabitants, increasing livestock and crop production, and conserving the environment, viz., provision of food, clothing, water, health services, recreational facilities and dry-season employment for the inhabitants; supply of feed, water and veterinary services as well as forage production; weed control, supply of improved seed, promotion of proper agronomy, fencing, and utilization of crop residues and bypoducts; and afforestation for fuel and construction material and protection of regenerating trees and shrubs, classification of habitat into land use and capacity categories, etc. respectively.
217 Gebrekidan, B. [Brhane Gebrekidan].
The role of sorghum in alleviating the food production problems of semi-arid eastern Africa.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 165-175. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 Apr 1980.
Examines the role that sorghum can play in mitigating the food shortage problems of semi-arid areas in East Africa in relation to the crop's ability to withstand moisture shortages, the presence of sorghum varieties particularly suitable for the highland zones which face moisture shortages and can thus be classified as semi-arid, the existence of a great deal of genetic diversity in the region, the availbility of varieties and/or hybrids suited to a very wide range of environmental conditions, and the possibility of developing hybrids that could substantially increase yields. Main problems of sorghum production in the region include: lack of effective national schemes for the production, processing, quality control and distribution of seeds of improved varieties and/or hybrids, absence of effective research-extension linkages, inadequacy or lack of farm inputs, predation by Quelea, infestation by Striga, pests and diseases, and the traditional production technology. Concludes with the need to develop an optimum package of crop production and to also adopt a regional approach to sorghum improvement research. Includes an overview of the status of sorghum research in the region.
218 Jinazali, Mselu M. C.
Production strategies under semi-arid conditions: The case of Ngabu farmers in the Lower Shire Valley, Malawi.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eeastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.) p. 326-345. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
Describes those productive strategies, pertaining to land usage and agricultural practices, that farmers in the Ngabu area, Lower Shire Valley, Malawi, have developed over time to adapt to the semi-arid conditions and hence extreme variability in rainfall in the region, viz., changes in the amount of land planted to cotton, the main cash crop, in accordance to the total amount of rainfall as well as its onset; preference given to maize (in terms of hectarage and cropping frequency) in food crop production; and expansion of the practice of wetland or "dimba' cultivation for growing fruits and vegetables for subsistence. Reviews salient features of recent integrated rural and agricultural development attempts that have been made by the Government of Malawi and international agencies, notably, the Chikwawa Cotton Development Project, which was inaugurated in 1968 and was expanded to become the Shire Valley Agricultural Development Project in 1973, and finally evolved into the Shire Valley Agricultural Consolidation Project.
219 Kaduma, J. D.
Prospects of irrigated agriculture in semi-arid areas of Tanzania.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 150-164. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
After an overview of the distribution of semi-arid areas in Tanzania, on the basis of the various definitions used to identify aridity, the paper outlines some of the problems hampering agriculture in these areas and examines the possibility of using either perennial irrigation (based on permanent water supplies such as rivers, springs or groundwater) or occasional irrigation (which takes advantage of temporary run-off) to stabilize agricultural production that is a hostage to the inadequacy and variability of the rainfall as well as to increase food production.
220 Katorobo, James
The management of environmental degradation in semi-arid Botswana.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 111-145. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
After a review of the debate as to the natural Vs man-made origins of environmental degradation in semi-arid areas in Botswana, the paper describes major features of the environment that influence range degradation in these lands, viz., systems of land tenure, land use, and land shortages caused by increasing human and animal populations; existence of long-term climatic cycles of wet and drought periods; process of vegetation changes, overgrazing and loss of carrying capacity associated with range deterioration; and exhaustion of renewable resources as well as increased desertification around watering points resulting from expanding the exploitation of water supplies. Presents, and critically examines in relation to conditions in Botswana, three theoretical models used to explain environmental degradation that results from an overexploitation of common pool resources as well as appropriate measures for their conservation, viz., "tragedy of the commons", "environment as a public good and free rider principle", and possibility of promoting environmental merit goods while discouraging demerits. Highlights four problems currently facing environmental policies and programmes for Botswana's semi-arid lands, viz., recurrent droughts due to inadequate and unreliable rainfall combined with high rates of evapotranspiration; human and animal population pressures that exceed the carrying capacity of the natural resources; choice in the utilization of these resources according to the logic of the "tragedy of the commons" or "killing the goose that lays the egg'; and ineffective and inefficient management responses to degradation. After outlining shortcomings associated with entrusting environmental protection policies to functional departments, as at present, or to an inter-ministerial committee, it recommends the establishment of a Ministry of Environmental Management and Protection.
221 Manundu, M.
The impact of Rising wood fuel utilization rates and deforestation on a semi-arid environment: Kenya.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 346-362. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
After a brief review of the rising demand for energy in Kenya as well as the status of the country's forest resources and their contribution to energy supplies in rural areas and for poor urban households, the paper examines the effects of increasing fuelwood utilization rates on the vegetation cover, environment and economy of the semi-arid Machakos district, on the basis of results from a questionnaire survey as to the amount of daily and yearly fuelwood consumption of households and the amount of time spent on collecting this. The results revealed that current consumption levels could not be replaced by either natural regeneration or plantings, and hence that they would lead to deforestation and thence to adverse environmental effects such as changes in soil chemical and physical properties, increased stream flow and turbidity, and increased soil erodability. Labour spent on fuelwood collection (10 percent of productive labour per household) could be diverted to other more productive activities if substitute energy sources were made available and their use promoted.
222 Maro, W. E.
Focus on development prospects in agricultural transportation in semi-arid areas (Dodoma - Tanzania).
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 220-239. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth(Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
After an overview of the major problems pertaining to transport in general in Tanzania, viz., poor road maintenance and excess demand on road haulage vehicles, the paper discusses the production capacity of Dodoma region for cash (export) and food crops, and describes the system of crop procurement and purchase that exists in the region as well as the system of transportation and its constraints. Concludes with several proposals for improving agricultural transportation, viz., improvements in the use of vehicles and increasing their availability, improvement of feeder roads, and establishment of processing facilities within the region.
223 Migot-Adholla, S. E.
The development of Kenya's arid and semi-arid areas: Problems and prospects.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 97-110. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
The paper makes a critical assessment of the policies adopted by successive administrations toward improving the quality of life among the pastoral nomads and semi-pastoral agriculturalists occupying Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands. It argues that attempts at the development of these marginal areas have largely failed because of a basic bias in policy which favours the high potential agricultural areas in the country. Measures recommended for the development of these marginal areas have often been uncritical adoptions of those that have succeeded in the areas that receive more water. But their implementation in the marginal areas has been only half-hearted and a number of semi-arid areas have increasingly become "welfare" recipients; abandoned, in effect, to the largesse of government relief agencies, charitable organizations, and crash programmes designed to remove the symptoms rather than the essential causes of the recurrent food shortages and economic stagnation. It suggests that solutions to these problems require a clear national commitment and long range planning which must take a rational account of the economic needs and ecological constraints of these marginal areas.
224 Ndulu, B. J.
Transportation as a development constraint in agricultural production: A theoretical expose and application in the semi-arid areas of Tanzania (Dodoma).
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 202-219. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
After an overview of some of the general effects of an inadequate transportation system on agriculture, the paper presents an economic model that analyzes the role of transport in production decisions in peasant production systems. The model predicts that it affects the degree of commercialization of agricultural produce and the supply of cash crops, with high transport costs acting as constraints to increasing productivity. Empirical evidence supporting this theoretical conclusions has been found from two case studies conducted in Dodoma region, a semi-arid area in Tanzania. These studies show the impact of transportation on the degree of commercialization at two different levels, viz., with distance to selling post not exceeding 10 miles, and intra-regional trade. Discusses the possibility of increasing the supply of vegetables and dairy products, currently in great demand in Dodoma City, that would result from improving the transport system as well as reducing its costs in the region.
225 Nsibambi, Apollo R.; Byarugaba, E. F.
Problems of political and administrative participation in a semi-arid area of Uganda: A case study of Karamoja.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 180-201. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
After a brief discussion of the definition of aridity and semi-aridity, on whether Karamoja is semi-arid or not, the historical background of the Karamojans and their practice of stock raiding, the paper presents the view that both the colonial and post-independence governments in Uganda have failed to enlist popular administrative and political participation of the Karamojans as they ignored the later's basic interests, which revolves around pastoralism and is conditioned by aridity. Supports this view by arguing that the British approach to the problems of administering Karamoja was consistent with what enabled them to extract resources from the region with minimum cost, that Obote's Government was too preoccupied with the problems of the struggle for power to be able to spare enough time and energy to solve the special problems which Karamoja posed, and that in Amin's regime there was so much mal-administration and lack of basic knowledge of how to run a modern state that Karamoja was almost left to survive on its own. These successive failures to tackle Karamoja's pastoral problems disenchanted the inhabitants and they largely remained unaffected by the process of political modernization and participation going on in Uganda, as is evidenced by their poor participation in elections, the failure of "week-end" leaders of political parties to effectively mobilize them, and the very low level of educational facilities and enrollment in the region. Proposes several measures to redress this, viz., pastoral development projects to increase the supply of water and pasture as well as ensure proper range management, establishment of cooperative ranching schemes, resettlement, re-division and zoning of the region, development of education, and establishment of a development task force.
226 Obara, Duastan A.
Problems and prospects of arid and semi-arid environments in Kenya.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 68-92. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
It has become clear in recent years that there is an urgent need for social and physical scientists to work more closely together in the study of arid and semi-arid environments. But there appears to be a scarcity of reliable data readily available to researchers, planners and extension workers, in a usable form, on the land use and development of these areas. The present paper has attempted to pull together the available data on basic environmental factors (climate, vegetation and landforms, and soils) and land use types (irrigated and rainfed arable agriculture, pastoralism and ranching, and tourism and wildlife parks), along with constraints associated with each land use type, in order to throw some light on problems and prospects of development in arid and semi-arid regions in Kenya. Besides thus providing a framework for discussion, the paper also raises a set of questions, and hence avenues for more intensive research in the future, on development in these low precipitation regions. It then provides concluding observations relevant for policy formulation as well as a list of references, maps and tables. Highlights the importance of an inter-disciplinary approach and international cooperation for solving problems of development in these areas.
227 Opschoor, Hans
Institutional changes and environmental impacts in semi-arid regions: The case of Botswana.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 260-284. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
Analyzes the system of society-environment interrelationships that have manifested themselves in Botswana, a largely semi-arid country with a delicate and fragile natural environment, in the recent past and will most probably evolve in the future as a result of the new land use policies. Views environmental changes as an outcome of the interplay between population (settlements), climatic change and ecological succession, mission and education (culture), technology and political structure (organization) and the environment's tendency to adaptive behaviour and to achieve dynamic equilibrium. Reviews developments in the systems of territorial organization, sio-administrative organization, land tenure, land use and modes of production that have taken place in pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods, which reveal a gradual breakdown of various cooperative and communal institutions and their partial replacement by "modern" centralized ones, with grave consequences for the environment.
228 Owino, F.
The challenge of tree development in the arid and semi-arid areas of East Africa with emphasis on appropriate technology.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 243-259. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
Reviews several constraints to forestry development in arid and semi-arid lands, viz., moisture deficiency, population pressure from nomadic peoples, damage by wildlife and livestock, grass and bush fires, pedological problems, problems related to surface water management, and limitations to the use of underground water. The paper then discusses the problem of classifying arid environments, difficulties related to the process of making an inventory of their resources, and factors limiting plant growth in these lands. Concludes by highlighting issues to be taken into consideration as well as measures to be adopted in any forestry development project as well as for developing production forests in these lands, viz., adoption of suitable species, development of nurseries, outplanting procedures, design of field plantings, screening of species, provenance screening, hybrid breeding programmes, seed procurement and storage, nurseries for production forests, plantation site preparation and tending, and the promotion of agroforestry.
229 Prah, Kwesi Kwaa
The state, and traditional responses to drought among the Tswana.
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 288-294. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth
(Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
Describes the nature of and sociological basis for indigenous responses to drought conditions among the Tswana, inhabitants of Botswana, and how these related to the structure of the state in country during the pre-colonial period, with particular reference to the system of surplus extraction by chiefs and the nobility during normal years and provision of food to subjects in times of difficulty, practice of having several structures for grain storage by the people, resort to living on berries during famine, adapted system of water control and water management, ethnic fissures and migration as a consequence of prolonged drought, practice of appeasement and purification rites to clean drought-causing evil forces, and the religious, including rain-making, and secular leadership roles of the chieftaincy.
230 Wolde-Semait, B. [Bekure Wolde-Semait].
Climatic characteristics and life patterns in semi-arid areas of Ethiopia: A survey
In The development problems and prospects of semi-arid areas in Eastern Africa. Proceedings of workshop, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 38-67. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1980.
Eastern African Social Science Consultative Group Workshop on the Problems and Prospects of Semi-Arid Areas, Nazareth (Ethiopia), 9-13 April 1980.
Describes major characteristics of the climate and life patterns of the inhabitants to be found in the semi-arid areas of Ethiopia, viz., seasonal patterns of air circulation in relation to rainfall, spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall as well as its reliability, average temperatures in relation to latitude and altitude as well as their seasonal variations, geographical distribution of semi-arid areas in the country in accordance with Martonne's Index of Aridity, socio-economic activities of the inhabitants (especially prominent role of home wells and river valley points as focal points around which nomads tend to return after emigrating to far off-grazing areas, causes of nomadic and transhumant movements, types of movements in terms of distance traveled and degree of involvement of members of the community, and prominent nomadic ethnic groups in the country), and internal and external pressures that tend to disrupt the ecological equilibrium in semi-arid areas such as increases in human and animal population, intrusion of peasants from the adjacent highlands, and the establishment of commercial farms and large agro-industrial firms.
231 Alila, Patrick O.
Administration of cooperatives for rural development in Kenya.
In Challenging rural poverty: Experiences in institution-building and popular participation for rural development in eastern Africa, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 169-182. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985. Trenton, N. J. (USA): Africa World Press.
1. OSSREA Congress, Alemaya (Ethiopia), June 1983.
Analyses the development and operations of cooperatives, including the state apparatus charged with their administration, in Kenya, which were set up as institutions suitable for facilitating rural development efforts, with particular reference to the emphasis and hope that has been placed in them in the country's strategy of rural development and the new tasks and scope of operations given to them in the current development plan; evolution during the colonial period and since independence; vertically integrated institutional set up and main spheres of activities; region-wise distribution anomalies; mode of supervision and control by the state; as well as their impacts on the welfare of members, on the national economy where they play marketing functions, and in the provision of credit to farmers.
232 Bibangambah, Jossy R.
Approaches to the problem of rural poverty in Africa.
In Challenging rural poverty: Experiences in institution-building and popular participation for rural development in Eastern Africa, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 21-59. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985. Trenton, N. J. (USA): Africa World Press.
1. OSSREA Congress, Alemaya (Ethiopia), June 1983.
Examines the nature of rural poverty, its global extent and variation in incidence among different African countries and between urban and rural areas. It then identifies sections of the rural population that are affected by it (the landless, subsistence producers, peasant farmers, pastoralists, salaried employees and the self-employed in agriculture and in other sectors of the economy, the unemployables, the disreputable poor, refugees and squatters, and fishing people), discusses its sources and causes (insufficient assets such as land, animals, farm machinery, tools, financial assets, etc.; backwardness of agricultural production, coupled with heavy taxation leading to exploitation, absence of employment opportunities, disorganized nature of rural labour, high number of dependents and population growth, and failure of government-run income transfer mechanisms), and proposes measures for alleviating it. Concludes with an overview of the debate surrounding appropriate development strategies (Basic Needs approach Vs Redistribution with Growth approach).
233 Bwalya, M. C.
The integrated development approach within the context of decentralization in Zambia.
In Challenging rural poverty: Experiences in institution-building and popular participation for rural development in Eastern Africa, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 183-196. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985. Trenton, N. J. (USA): Africa World Press.
1. OSSREA Congress, Alemaya (Ethiopia), June 1983.
Reviews the success and failure of the various strategies that have been employed in Zambia to enhance local-level participation in the formulation, management, and implementation of development policies and programmes, viz., promotion of cooperatives, rural development schemes that comprise of the Group Housing Scheme and Settlement Scheme, and others such as the establishment of Rural Reconstruction centres, Intensive Development zones, and multi-purpose cooperatives more recently. Attributes the failure to achieve the intended goals in most, if not all, of these strategies to a lack of close integration of programmes and activities. Describes four major features of the Integrated Development Strategy that were influential in its adoption by the Government as a blue-print for raising rural production and increasing local-level participation in rural development and thence led to the establishment of Intensive Development Zones (IDZ), viz., multi-disciplinary packages, coordination and cooperation, emphasis on local participation, and project complementarity and wider coverage. Describes activities related to the formulation and development of the IDZ strategy as well as the problems encountered during implementation, which were related to over-centralization and foreign domination of decision making, financial uncertainty, oraganizational constraints, and undue publicity. Discusses main objectives, problems and prospects of the Integrated Rural Development Programme, a successor to IDZ with a modified approach and covering more provinces as well as more areas within them, focusing on its shortcomings such as the lack of grassroots consultation in the planning process; bias towards better-off farmers rather than the poor; and diminished local mobilization machinery due to the failure to reactivate/establish local political mobilization institutions.
234 Kiros, F. G. [Fassil G. Kiros].
Introduction.
In Challenging rural poverty: Experiences in institution-building and popular participation for rural development in eastern Africa, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p.1-9. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985. Trenton, N. J. (USA): Africa World Press.
1. OSSREA Congress, Alemaya (Ethiopia), Jun 1983.
Introductory chapter that summarizes the main issues raised and discussed in subsequent chapters, which the author has broadly categorized into two, viz., those that review the problem of rural poverty and/or assess the outcomes of rural development experiences in East Africa, and those that address the question of institution-building and grass-roots participation in the context of rural development in the region.
235 Mlay, Wilfred
Pitfalls in rural development: The case in Tanzania.
In Challenging rural poverty: Experiences in institution-building and popular participation for rural development in Eastern Africa, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 81-97. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985. Trenton, N. J. (USA): Africa World Press.
1. OSSREA Congress, Alemaya (Ethiopia), June 1983.
Reviews the experience of rural development in Tanzania, bearing in mind the uncertainty and confusion as to the nature, causes and solutions for the crisis of development that exists in many developing countries, and attempts to identify the causes for the development crisis that the country is facing. Describes the main objectives of the country's long-term development plan as well as the two rural development strategies that it has adopted in the course of three Five Year Development Plans, viz., improvement of the farming systems initially followed by transformation through establishment of village settlement schemes when this failed from 1961 to 1964 and the ujamaa villages and villagization strategy thereafter. Assesses impacts of both strategies on agricultural production, noting its continuous downward trend after 1971. Attributes this failure to the Government's inability to "capture" the interests of the peasants so as to mobilize them to meet the demands of socialist development, its disruption of institutions which had assured agricultural development in an effort to enforce its policies, as well as mistakes in instituting certain policies and the manner in which they were implemented. Examines trends in the extent of poverty, unemployment and income inequality, as apt criteria for measuring the achievements of rural development, noting the deterioration in all three of them. Emphasizes the need for adopting alternative development approaches.
236 Mudoola, Dan
The pathology of institution building - The Tanzanian case.
In Challenging rural poverty: Experiences in institution-building and popular participation for rural development in Eastern Africa, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 117-125. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985. Trenton, N. J. (USA): Africa World Press.
1. OSSREA Congress, Alemaya (Ethiopia), June 1983.
Discusses the dilemma of development, arguing that despite the weak technological and economic infrastructures of many African countries, and especially Tanzania, they have taken on extractive and distributive tasks which are so overwhelming that they in turn generate more "developmental" problems that may threaten the very raison d'etre of the state structure. Presents the view that Tanzania's problems arise, not from a fragility or abscence of political institutions, but from over-institutionalization which leads to over-bureaucratization. These over-bureaucratization resulted in the diversion of the limited resources that could have been used for development to pay for salaries and the services of these organizations, an essentially parasitic activity. It also attributes the phenomenon of developmental "immobilism" to the shyness, on the part of the political leadership, to exercise coercive power even when developmental imperatives dictate so. Notes also that the net effect of political mobilization, politicization, and free allocation of basic social services has been to arouse high expectations, on the part of peasants, workers and other sections of the population, of what the system should provide. These expectations cannot be fully met with the limited resources available to the state, forcing it to attribute the shortfall to external factors.
237 Mujwahuzi, Mark R.
The impact of population growth on food production in Tanzania: Problems and prospects.
In Challenging rural poverty: Experiences in institution-building and popular participation for rural development in Eastern Africa, Fasil G. Kiros, (ed.), p. 99-115. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985. Trenton, N. J. (USA): Africa World Press.
1. OSSREA Congress, Alemaya (Ethiopia), June 1983.
Examines briefly the impact of rapid population growth on food production in Tanzania. After a theoretical discussion of how population size, rate of population growth and age composition of the population can affect economic development, the paper presents an overview of the major demographic characteristics of the human population in the country followed by an analysis of how this rapid growth has influenced investment decisions and the production of goods, especially of food and other agricultural products. Highlights other constraints to sufficient food production in the country.
238 Muro, Asseny
Women commodity producers and proletariats: The case of African women.
In Challenging rural poverty: Experiences in institution-building and popular participation for rural development in Eastern Africa, Fasil G. Kiros.(ed.), p. 61-79. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985. Trenton, N. J. (USA): Africa World Press.
1. OSSREA Congress, Alemaya (Ethiopia), June 1983.
Attempts to contribute to an understanding of women's role in society and the factors that are contributing to their inferior positions therein by reviewing the involvement of women in commodity production in agriculture and in the wage employment sector in Africa. After a historical overview of women's exploitation in pre-capitalist societies as well as during the era of colonialism, the paper describes the status and role of women producers after independence in various African countries, which has been characterized by a high rate of participation in agriculture on their part but by an absence of new agricultural techniques and innovations targeted at them. Discusses the process of proletarianization as it pertains to Africa's women, whose main features include occupational segmentation by sex and restricted opportunities for upward mobility.
239 Mutahaba, Gelase R.
Organization for development: Tanzania's search for appropriate local level organizations.
In Challenging rural poverty: Experiences in institution-building and popular participation for rural development in Eastern Africa, Kiros, F.G. (ed.), p. 127-145. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985. Trenton, N. J. (USA): Africa World Press.
1. OSSREA Congress, Alemaya (Ethiopia), June 1983.
After an overview of the system of local level administration during the colonial period, the paper reviews main features of and assesses the effectiveness of two of the several attempts made by the Government of Tanzania to change local-level organizational forms with a view to giving power to the people, viz., creation of district councils in 1962 and establishment of an integrated decentralized governmental system at regional and district levels in 1972. Outlines factors that have been responsible for their apparent ineffective performance, as revealed by deteriorating finances, little internal cohesion, and generally poor linkages with the wider political and administrative organs of the central government by district councils in the former, and the near elimination of participative governance and dependency on centre-level initiatives, created by the adoption of a unitary budget system, in the latter. Critically examines whether the government has taken into account these experiences when it introduced its latest measure which established rural local governments known as District Councils.
240 Oyugi, Walter Ouma
Centre-periphery linkages in the development process: An assessment of the Kenyan experience.
In Challenging rural poverty: Experiences in institution-building and popular participation for rural development in Eastern Africa, Fasil G. Kiros. (ed.), p. 147-167. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985. Trenton, N. J. (USA): Africa World Press.
1. OSSREA Congress, Alemaya (Ethiopia), June 1983.
Analyses the nature and forms of intra- and inter-organizational linkages (defined as all forms of interactions between the headquarters (centre) and field units (locality) within a government bureaucracy, and interactions that occur laterally and vertically between two or more ministries/departments, respectively) focusing on the relationship among the various public organizations involved in national development as well as extra-organizational linkages in the development process with co-operative movements, local authorities, and district level committees. Critically examines whether these linkages have been organized in the interest of rural development, broadly defined to include the construction of social overhead infrastructure as well as improving the quality of life for the rural poor in Kenya, citing the case of the Ministry of Agriculture where development planning as well as budgeting and disbursement of funds happen to be under the firm control at the centre. Discusses, in relation to the development process, major features and operations of non-bureaucratic linkages, such as the patron-client bond, ethnic and kinship ties, extra-parliamentary ties that an MP establishes with providers that ensure the flow of resources to his constituency, and informal influences exercised by donors in getting resources disbursed from the centre to the periphery in the country.
241 Rahmato, D. [Dessalegn Rahmato].
The Ethiopian experience in agrarian reform.
In Challenging rural poverty: Experiences in institution-building and popular participation for rural development in Eastern Africa, Fasil G. Kiros. (ed.), p. 197-224. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985. Trenton, N. J. (USA): Africa World Press.
1. OSSREA Congress, Alemaya (Ethiopia), June 1983.
Presents an overview of the process of land redistribution and the pattern of holdings size that has evolved as a result of the agrarian reform that took place in Ethiopia in 1975. After a brief review of the agrarian system that existed prior to this reform, the paper presents a summary of the reform legislation, a description of the process of land distribution and re-distribution that took place following the proclamation, and a discussion on consequences of this distributive-leveling agrarian reform on size of holdings, in comparison with the earlier period, in four case study weredas taken from different agro-ecological zones as well as on rural to urban migration, general conditions of peasants, and rural production and productivity. Concludes with a discussion of the evolution of the importance awarded to the agrarian question in Marxism.
242 Wolde-Mariam, M. [Mesfin Wolde-Mariam].
The socio-economic consequences of famine.
In Challenging rural poverty: Experiences in institution-building and popular participation for rural development in Eastern Africa, Fasil G. Kiros. (ed.), p. 11-19. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985. Trenton, N. J. (USA): Africa World Press.
1. OSSREA Congress, Alemaya (Ethiopia), June 1983.
Reviews briefly the various negative consequences that resulted from famine conditions that arose in Ethiopia over the twenty-year period between 1958 and 1977, viz., human mortality, emigration from the affected areas, loss of livestock, sell or abandonment of land holdings, disruption of agricultural production, long-term health hazards due to consumption of poisonous plants and/or stunted growth due to malnutrition, and monetary expenditure spent for relief.
243 Beyene, A. [Asmelash Beyene].
Research priorities on public management in Ethiopia.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: An agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 40-56. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
After reviewing the small amount of research that has been done on public administration/public enterprises in Ethiopia, the paper identifies a long list of topics that deserve research priority in public administration, local/regional administration and development, and management of public enterprisesin the country, viz., challenges and problems imposed on the bureaucracy by the revolutionary changes as well as its mechanisms of adaptation; impact of government policies, structures and programmes on the process of rural development; changes that have taken place in the structure, performance and behaviour of the Civil Service following the revolution; citizens' attitudes towards the government as well as its policies and programmes; performance problems associated with and implications of the administrative reorganizations undertaken since the revolution; dynamics of institutional change and rural development; impact of land reform on rural-urban migration; effectiveness of peasant associations as instruments of development and participation as well as effectiveness of cooperatives as instruments of an accelerated rural development; factors determining success of settlement schemes; structure, performance and problems of urban dwellers' associations; developmental viability of regional administrative units; structure, performance and problems of state farms; structure and functioning of public enterprises (PEs) as well as factors determining their success; financial performances of PEs; methodology to be used to measure employees' performance, motivation and productivity in PEs; control systems for PEs; training needs of PEs; problems related to marketing and distribution in PEs; and attitudes and values of the newly appointed managers in PEs. Proposes regional research collaborations on the roles of local administrations in rural development as well as on the operation and management of public enterprises so as to generate cross-cultural data, in much the same lines as has been done in Cornell University's studies on rural local government in several Asian countries. This would evince theoretical knowledge of the administrative phenomena in the region.
244 Katorobo, James
Conclusions on research priorities in eastern Africa.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: An agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 171-177. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
Summarizes, on the basis of the papers contained in earlier chapters, themes that have been identified as deserving research priority in politics, management, agricultural and industrial sectors of national economies, rural development, resources management, and women studies in the East Africa region.
245 Katorobo, James.
Research priorities in eastern Africa: An introduction.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: An agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 1-12. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
Introductory chapter that highlights the need for prioritizing as well as the objectives of research in the social sciences before presenting a summary of the remaining chapters in the book, after grouping them into research priorities in politics, management, economics, rural development, human and natural resources management, women's studies, and on the social sciences in eastern Africa.
246 Katorobo, James.
Research priorities on social sciences in Uganda.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: an agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 159-170. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
Presents results of a questionnaire survey, administered to social scientists at Makerere University, Uganda, that had the aim of investigating their recent and present research activities; asking them to list, in order of relative importance, topics that they deemed were worthy of priority; and further more examining their opinions as to the relative importance of such objective as obtaining a higher degree, publishing, attending conferences, improvement of teaching, improvement of government policy, and advancing knowledge in general as motivations for conducting research; and obtaining their views regarding the relative importance of such constraints as lack of funds, heavy teaching loads, lack of publishing outlets, lack of seminars/conferences, the hard economic conditions, and lack of opportunities for further education as impediments to research. Includes specific proposals to improve social science research in the country.
247 Mbilinyi, M. J.
Research priorities on women's studies in Eastern Africa.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: An agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 130-158. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
Reviews the evolution of women's studies and research focusing on women in eastern Africa, with particular reference to studies on their status in pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial production systems; their role in production and reproduction; their role in development; problems faced by women researchers; the establishment of regional research institutions specializing on women studies; competition between indigenous and foreign researchers; and the emergence of the "integration" and "revolution" approaches as to the role of women in development. Identifies several areas that deserve research priority, viz., sexual division of labour and extent of exploitation of women to be found among different classes such as hired labourers, poor peasants, smallholders, rich farmers, entrepreneurs and workers; female labour participation as well as living and working conditions of women engaged in both the formal and the informal sector; economic and legal basis for male dominance in the family and the working place; ideological battles against those who promote bourgeois "feminist" values and soft images of women; historical analysis of African societies with regard to forms and content of oppression and exploitation of women, men and children; development of women-related studies in relation to the class struggle; nature of the oppression by the state and different forms of capital; role of donors in funding; and the role to be played by OSSREA as a regional research organization.
248 Mlay, Wilfred F. I.
Research priorities on human and physical resources in Tanzania.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: An agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 121-129. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
After noting the neglect that has been accorded to research on the magnitude and distribution of physical resources in Tanzania, as well as their interactions with human resources and their role in social and economic development, the paper reviews problems associated with the utilization, storage and management of local databases on these resources as well as the availability of external ones. The paper then identifies several priority areas for social science research on the country's resource base, viz., quality of land, land use and soil erosion and conservation; cultural and social practices of livestock keepers and consequences of changes in their ecological and economic environment such as villagization; water supply and its utilization; impacts of rural water supply projects on social relations, productivity and quality of life; and availability of water resources and their development. Concludes by highlighting, with regard to natural resources research, the need for conducting more basic research, developing efficient analytical tools, conducting impact studies, institutionalizing multi-disciplinary efforts at both national and regional levels, and obtaining increased external support.
249 Mporogomyi, K. M. M.
Research priorities in the management of the Tanzanian economy.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: An agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 72-87. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
After highlighting the need for closer coordination and increased collaboration among research institutions conducting research on development in Tanzania, where findings from studies are not being disseminated to officials at other institutions or policy makers, and where policy makers are unwilling to read or act on them, the paper proposes a methodology for identifying research priority areas and then lists topics that deserve such treatment at the macro-level of the national economy as well as in industrialization strategy and policy, viz., public financing and budgetary problems; structure and production capacity in agriculture; problems of basic development strategy; balance of payments shortage and the investment gap; problems of import substitution strategy; capacity under-utilization and the lack of a well-defined and effective system of incentives in public enterprises; industrial restructuring policy; policy for alleviating foreign exchange shortages; and export promotion.
250 Msambichaka, L.
Research priorities on rural development in Tanzania.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: An agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 114-120. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
Highlights several research priority areas in rural development in Tanzania in order to identify appropriate measures for revolutionizing or modernizing the traditional rural sector and promoting the use of improved seeds, fertilizers and irrigation, viz., problems of and successes in ujamaa village production; causes of as well as corrective measures for the decline in peasant productivity as well as their shift from cash to food crop production; their preference to sell in the parallel market rather than to the National Milling Corporation; causes for the below capacity utilization in the industrial sector; extent of development of agro-industries and the growth of linkages between different economic sectors; possibility of production diversification so as to minimize dependence on a few crops for export; role of financial institutions in domestic resource mobilization and its allocation to public enterprises; impacts of the devaluations as well as social and economic consequences of the perpetual increases in prices and taxes. Highlights constraints impeding the development of research, viz., scarcity of trained personnel, understaffing of research institutions, lack of coordination and collaboration, and intolerance of the political environment to the expression of different views.
251 Mudoola, Dan.
Research priorities on politics in eastern Africa.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: An agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 29-39. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
Presents the view that the main gaps in the literature on the nature and role of political parties at the macro-level in eastern Africa are due to the generalized disillusionment on the part of scholars with political parties' roles as instruments for socio-economic and political construction, a shift in the interests of those sponsoring research from studies on macro-political institutions to the "ideology" of development, and the increasingly intolerant political environment in the region that has not been conducive for research. Lists several areas that deserve research priority in the region, viz., systematic identification of critical decision-making centres so as to locate where ultimate sovereignty lies; recruitment patterns of politico-bureaucratic incumbents; extent to which politico-bureaucratic institutions fulfill Huntington's criteria of "developed" institutions; attitudinal orientation of power-holders; nature and aspirations of interest groups; and issues related to the establishment of documentation centres.
252 Mutahaba, Gelase R.
Research on public administration in Tanzania.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: An agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 57-71. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
After a brief overview of the historical development of public administration as a distinct field of study as well as present perceptions as to its fields of concern, the paper reviews developments in the teaching of, research in and publications on the discipline in Tanzania, with particular reference to anthropological studies and accounts of work by administrators in the colonial period; early studies on the organization and operations of the Government as well as on development and planning management that was done by the Institute of Public Administration in the mid-1960s; work related to the process of national liberation following the establishment of the Department of Political Science at the University of Dar-es-Salaam; interdisciplinary research on issues of rural organization for development after the Arusha Declaration; introduction of public administration courses at undergraduate level studies in political science which later grew to an MA programme in Development Administration; micro-level studies in rural development; the present downward trend in research activities; and the action-oriented research that is being done by the Management Services Division of the Ministry of Manpower Development and Administration in its review of the operation of ministries, departments and regions. Outlines some of the factors that have hindered research in the country, viz., late emergence of the discipline as a distinct field of study, focus on "short-term" solutions to problems, staff shortages, lack of publishing outlets, and the past focus accorded to local administration and rural development while neglecting central organs.
253 Nsibambi, Apollo
Research priorities on elections in Africa.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: An agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 13-28. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
After a brief discussion on the importance of elections in Africa, the paper identifies several areas that deserve priority in research in the region, viz., people's perceptions as to the need for holding elections, ethos of African communities to the election process, need for multi-party competitions, role of election symbols and importance of issues in influencing vote casting, safeguards against gerrymandering, attitudes towards "crossing the floor" by elected representatives, most effective basis for representation, role of electoral mechanisms in defusing ethnicity, role of the mass media in the electoral process, and problems related to the administration of elections as well as those associated with the acceptance/rejection of election results.
254 Ochieng, E. O.
Research priorities in the management of the Ugandan economy.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: An agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 88-99. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
Presents a brief summary of the state of the Ugandan economy both before 1971, when it was healthy, and after it began to decay subsequently. Outlines measures taken by the Government of Uganda after 1981 to rejuvenate the economy. After an overview of research priorities in economics, as formulated by the National Research Council, as well as problems of conducting research in the country, the paper identifies five major areas that require urgent action, viz., research that would generate basic economic data for publication in statistical abstracts, annual reports of institutions, etc., as well as would produce data on industrial and agricultural production, employment and population censuses; collecting background data on traditional and modern agricultural production systems as well as measures to promote agricultural exports; research on constraints of the industrial sector and appropriate development strategies; manpower availability surveys and requirements assessment in each sector; and measures to indigenize, and thereby increase relevance of, teaching materials at all levels of education.
255 Opio-Odongo, J. M. A.; Bibangambah, J.
Research priorities on rural development in Uganda.
In The social sciences in Eastern Africa: An agenda for research, J. Katorobo, (ed.), p. 100-113. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1985.
Workshop on Research Priorities in the Social Sciences in Eastern Africa, Arusha (Tanzania), 1983.
Presents an overview of the underlying assumptions that dictate choice of analytical framework and methods of investigation in social science research on rural development (RD) so as to make it policy oriented, normative and hence value-laden. Outlines factors that pertain to the contribution of research in the RD process, such as making recommendations to policy makers, ensuring relevance and visibility of these recommendations in terms of political and substantive importance, dissemination of findings, need to ensure that recommendations are implemented. Highlights the need for setting up a national RD policy that incorporates goals, actions or funding programmes and a process of service delivery. Discusses issues related to the nature of RD research policy and practice such as values and interests it serves or will serve, local or foreign origin of these interests, and their compatibility with national development policy. The paper then proposes several areas deserving research priority in RD in Uganda, viz., persistence of and changes in rural social formations with emphasis on the nature, magnitude and results of programmes to combat poverty, inequality and illiteracy; influence of rural interest groups in the direction and tempo of these changes; extent to which recent political instabilities have affected the agrarian structure, rural-urban and urban-rural migrations, and leadership structures; the philosophy and practice of RD; RD financing; service delivery; role of agro-industries and commercial farms; and relation of social science teaching and research to the problems and needs of RD in the country.
256 Affan, Khalid
Village surveys as a primary source of data for testing hypotheses in rural/rural migration in Sudan.
In Research methods in the social sciences: A quest for relevant approaches for Africa, B. O. M. Fadlalla, Fasil G. Kiros (eds.), p. 113-134. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1986. Khartoum (Sudan): Khartoum University Press.
Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Khartoum (Sudan), 1-3 Oct 1984.
Presents results of an exercise in the use of a simple micro-economic model that explains the allocation of family labour between wage employment in the modern mechanized farm (MF) sector and on family farms (FF) to analyze effects of short term rural/rural migration of small peasants on aggregate labour supply to MFs and more specifically to analyze the relationship between the part sold to MFs and the part expended on FF. Two contending hypotheses were postulated, viz., labour intensification (LI) which stated that labour to MF would be tapped from underutilized peasant power through an increase in number of hours worked per adult member, and inverse labour supply (ILS) which stated that labour supply to MF decreases its supply to FF. A third hypothesis, assumed to hold under ILS, postulated that reward to labour in MF, given equal intensity of work, is at least equal to, if not higher than, in FF. The paper describes the specifications of a simple household labour allocation model that serves as a framework for an algebraic reformulation of the hypotheses. Following a detailed account of the method used for data collection as well the problems encountered during the conduct of a pilot and main surveys in Foyo (full encirclement by MF) and Al-Fayd (marginal encirclement) villages in South Kordofan province, Sudan, the paper highlights major findings of the analysis. These revealed that LI was rejected while ILS and the third hypothesis were verified, using both village-level and pooled data. With regard to importance of factors affecting migration to MF and allocation of labour between MF and FF, grain deficit and wage index were found to be pull factors for MF while expected output was a push factor; cash resources and non-participation in the family farm (underutilized labour source) had no significant effects; and sown area failed to explain the supply of labour to FF.
257 Fadlalla, Bashir O. Mohamed
Introduction to: Research methods in the social sciences: An overview.
In Research methods in the social sciences: A quest for relevant approaches for Africa, B. O. M. Fadlalla, Fasil G. Kiros, (eds.), p. 3-16. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1986. Khartoum (Sudan): Khartoum University Press.
Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Khartoum (Sudan), 1-3 Oct 1984.
Introductory chapter that deals with various issues pertaining to research methodology in the social sciences. The paper describes the sequence of steps that constitute research design, viz., choice of the research problem; resolution of statistical choices concerning the selection, definition as well as measurement of variables and parameters that in essence describe the problem; decisions regarding data collection while ensuring data quality; measurement of social phenomena from the data that has been collected as well as its processing, which involves the selection of appropriate categories, coding, and classifying into meaningful theoretical groups; and analysis of social data in order to prove or disprove the proposition, hypothesis or theory that was postulated at the choice of problem stage. It then discusses main elements of the scientific method of inquiry for generating knowledge as well as the underlying assumptions on which it is based. Finally, it presents a summary of each subsequent paper in the book, grouping them into 3 sections, viz., those that deal with fieldwork techniques and data collection while questioning the relevance of the presently employed techniques to African settings, those addressing statistical techniques in data analysis, and those dealing with documentary research.
258 Fadlalla, Bashir O. Mohamed
An approach to the use of scaling in sensitivity analysis.
In Research methods in the social sciences: A quest for relevant approaches for Africa, B. O. M. Fadlalla, Fasil G. Kiros, (eds.), p. 135-150. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1986. Khartoum (Sudan): Khartoum University Press.
Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Khartoum (Sudan), 1-3 Oct 1984.
Presents results of a study that jointly used scaling procedures and the Monte Carlo method of simulation to improve the sensitivity of one of the models used in social science surveys, which are frequently characterized by implicit subjectivity in the formulation and measurement of variables. As part of a larger multiple regression model to explain the determinants of house prices in Khartoum, Sudan, four of the sixteen explanatory variables, viz., material used for construction (vI), house condition (vII), presence of cooling facilities (vIII), and presence of cooking facilities (vIV), had been measured on a scale of 1 to 4 (implicitly assuming the best was four times the worst). When used in the model, difficulties in the interpretation of their values and the parameters connected with them became apparent. These were overcome by attaching random weights to these problematic variables. Allowing these weights to also vary randomly for ten runs, the effect of this procedure was observed to be a substantial change in the significance value these variables with no change in significance of other variables, as well as a significant improvement in the significance of the model and its explanatory capacity, as measured by the value of R2, for both owner-occupied and rented houses. More specifically, vI and vIV showed substantial improvements in their contribution to the model and an increase in their significance while vII and VIII became more insignificant. Successive re-runs confirmed the same results. Concludes by highlighting situations where similar procedures could come in handy and by outlining measures to improve the procedure.
259 Kaijage, F. J.
Researching on the history of labour.
In Research methods in the social sciences: A quest for relevant approaches for Africa, B. O. M. Fadlalla, Fasil G. Kiros, (eds.), p. 211-230. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1986. Khartoum (Sudan): Khartoum University Press.
Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Khartoum (Sudan), 1-3 Oct 1984.
After a brief review on emergence of the study of labour history as well as the theoretical background that served as a basis for the methodology adopted for the present study, the paper highlights major findings as well as main problems and pitfalls encountered in research into the history of labour and capital in the Tanzanian mining industry from 1920 to 1964. Sources consulted include government publications, individual and archival sources, company records, and oral interviews. Information obtained from government publications was related to the nature of the work process and its evolution over time; aggregate employment statistics, categorized as those working above- or below-ground as well as according to sex and racial composition; and legislation regarding mining as well as labour relations. The tendency of such sources to hide a lot more than they revealed made it essential to consult public archives. Archival sources yielded information on the nature of the mining industry and developments within it; scattered figures on production and sales; role of government in the industry; labour relations and conditions of work. Company records also yielded information on labour relations and conditions. In order to supplement the data gained from literary sources, interviews with workers, both retired and active, were conducted to obtain their recollection as well as to gain their personal experience of the situation and conditions in the industry.
260 Kidane, A. [Asmerom Kidane].
Sampling errors from socio-economic baseline survey in an Ethiopian rural setting.
In Research methods in the social sciences: A quest for relevant approaches for Africa, B. O. M. Fadlalla, Fasil G. Kiros, (eds.), p. 99-112. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1986. Khartoum (Sudan): Khartoum University Press.
Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Khartoum (Sudan), 1-3 Oct 1984.
Presents results of a study on the variability of standard errors and other related statistical measures, which can be encountered in any sample survey, with the aim of evaluating the degree of precision of the information that is collected from surveys. Based on data collected from a cluster sample survey of socio-economic variables in Lume Woreda, 75 kilometers south-east of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, the paper assesses the pattern and magnitude of standard errors, deft values (ratio of the standard error of sampling method under usage to that of simple random sampling, useful for a better presentation of standard errors as it avoids their dependence on the units of measurement and hence accounts for sample design effects), and the degree of homogeneity (roh) of responses for 6 categories of qualitative and quantitative questions, viz., common agricultural practices and farming systems, common agricultural and other constraints, credit sources and degree of indebtedness, opinions with regard to issues that need improvement, decision making in farm management, and relations with extension agents.
261 Matovu, George Washington
Methodological issues in research on public administration in Uganda: Problems and prospects of documentation.
In Research methods in the social sciences: A quest for relevant approaches for Africa, B. O. M. Fadlalla, Fasil G. Kiros, (eds.), p. 176-196. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1986. Khartoum (Sudan): Khartoum University Press.
Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Khartoum (Sudan), 1-3 Oct 1984.
With the aim of highlighting the problems of and prospects for conducting documentary research in public administration (DRPA) in Uganda, the papers addresses such issues as the essence of DRPA, justifications for conducting DRPA in the country, possible sources of data, and possible institutions where such data can be obtained. It then outlines factors that mitigate effective DRPA in the country, viz., stringent formalities and procedures that need to fulfilled to obtain permission to conduct research; lack of trust in the researcher and uncooperative behaviour exhibited by officials; inadequacies in research institutions due to a lack of facilities and poor service caused by understaffing; problems in the use of available data due to either inadequateness of the information as well as lack of consistency with respect to time coverage, validity and reliability. Concludes with a discussion on the future of DRPA in the country, in light of current and planned activities to improve information management systems and services as well as to close information gaps. Includes helpful guidelines, for use by an aspiring researcher, for gaining the trust, confidence and cooperation of public officials.
262 Mburugu, Edward K.
The African household in socio-economic change: A conceptual problem in research.
In Research methods in the social sciences: A quest for relevant approaches for Africa, B. O. M.Fadlalla, Fasil G. Kiros, (eds.), p. 70-80. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1986. Khartoum (Sudan): Khartoum University Press.
Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Khartoum (Sudan), 1-3 Oct 1984.
Highlights the limitations inherent in taking the household as a unit of research and analysis in African social settings as they are characterized by rapid economic and social changes. The factors that give rise to these limitations, by affecting the internal social and economic dynamics of the household, are identified as (i) the dispersion in residential distribution among members which can sometimes be coupled with a high rate of mobility both within and between rural and urban areas; (ii) increasing differentiation, on the basis of social and economic counts, of roles among family and household members whereby such factors as education, non-familial work, wage earnings, differential contribution to household welfare, etc., have taken the place of age and sex in determining seniority and eminence in the relationships among members; (iii) shifts in the traditional bases of power and emergence of new power relations within the household due to changes in social status and life styles of individual members, and especially that of women; (iv) competition, regarding functions, between the household and other national or local-level social institutions. Based on the above, the paper identifies factors that need to be considered when choosing the appropriate design and sampling frame in household surveys, viz., determining ethnic composition with a focus on cultural differences in norms that relate to roles of members, distinguishing between "titular" and "real" heads of households with regard to decision making, establishing levels of household structure in relation to whether they are weakening or strengthening the extended family, and determining extent of socio-economic development, in comparison with community or regional levels.
263 Mohamed-Salih, M. A.
Research methodology and the competence of social scientists in depicting reality: Some odd facts from rural Sudan.
In Research methods in the social sciences: A quest for relevant approaches for Africa, B. O. M. Fadlalla, Fasil G. Kiros, (eds.), p. 81-96. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1986. Khartoum (Sudan): Khartoum University Press.
Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Khartoum (Sudan), 1-3 Oct 1984.
Critically assesses competence of social scientists, working in isolation from each other and from other sciences, in depicting reality. After outlining the major bases for as well as the competition that exists amongst systems analysis, decision making models and structural/historical approaches, the three methodologies that are used to tackle problems in rural development, the paper criticizes the failure of all three to recognize the "third culture", ie, need to focus on the village as the basic unit for understanding the rural poor in order to devise appropriate development strategies (local participation). Cites the case of Abiyei Rural Development Project, located in the southwestern part of South Kordofan Province, Sudan, to portray deficiencies in accurately depicting reality by social scientists. The Project, characterized by poor understanding of the population, culture and ecosystem of the region by planners as no social research had been done prior to the implementation of development schemes, had failed to realize its objectives due to various technical and administrative reasons. Social research to investigate the causes for this failure revealed that the Project and its objectives had been politically motivated and hence lacked sound scientific planning, and that planners had greatly misconceived the conflict between the Ngola Dinka and the Humr, the two category of the population that use the Project area and were to benefit from the Project, as well as the extent to which the Project could aggravate this conflict. But the social research itself had several shortcomings such as a preponderance of expatriates who had no direct contact with inhabitants but relied on second-hand information for report writing, adherence to it a strict questionnaire method, inflexibility of some questions and hence their inability to accommodate variations, failure to have an accurate specification of the population to be studied and drawing a representative sample, and being pressed for time while being asked to provide quick solutions. These led to a final report that lacked a theme or vision and whose recommendations (regarding policy and other measures) were disappointing as well as being out of tune of the objectives of the research. Long-term research done later exposed the failure of this first research to acknowledge the importance of traditional practices while accepting the technical arrangements proposed by planners. It also identified ethnic tensions and conflicts as the major set-backs for the Project whereby one group viewed the Project as hostile to its interests, it led to an intensification of conflicts, and these conflicts have negatively affected other projects and also have had far-reaching adverse impacts throughout the region. Concludes by noting that the main reason for the failure of the first social research exercise was related to the survey method that only investigated synchronic aspects of the development process. It also advocates an interdisciplinary approach in social research, and recommends the adoption of an "approach to farmers" attitude in such research.
264 Mujaju, Akiiki B.
The recency and immediacy of political science: Some implications for research.
In Research methods in the social sciences: A quest for relevant approaches for Africa, B. O. M. Fadlalla, Fasil G. Kiros, (eds.), p. 47-69. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1986. Khartoum (Sudan): Khartoum University Press.
Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Khartoum (Sudan), 1-3 Oct 1984.
Presents the view that one of the qualities that have resulted in the declining fortunes, in official circles, of the discipline of political science and political science research was, and still is, the element of recency (in terms of time) and immediacy (in terms of socio-economic relevance) of the discipline itself and the extent to which this has implications for conducting research. Supports this assertion with a case study of attempts by the Government of the Uganda Peoples' Congress (UPC), led by Dr. Obote, to involve the UPC parliamentary constituency organizations in improving the lives of rural people through what was called "Parliamentary Constituency Rural Development Programme". This was a new departure that was premised on the assumption of rural development based on local choice but was a result of political calculation to popularize the Party and its Members of Parliament. After an explanation of the concepts of recency and immediacy as they apply to the discipline, the paper discusses what the programme was designed to achieve, how it was subverted from being a local choice to being an elite choice, and how regular development officers were bypassed and hence had no impact in selecting or citing projects, and finally how the noble ideals were systematically subordinated to the electoral interests of individuals. Discusses how research into this recent and relevant exercise became politically explosive as well, and how this relates to the main concerns of political science.
265 Ndagala, D. K.
Social science research in Africa: A review of methods and ethics.
In Research methods in the social sciences: A quest for relevant approaches for Africa, B. O. M. Fadlalla, Fasil G. Kiros, (eds.), p. 17-46. OSSREA, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). 1986. Khartoum (Sudan): Khartoum University Press.
Research Methods in the Social Sciences, Khartoum (Sudan), 1-3 Oct 1984.
The paper attempts to contribute to the discussion on the validity of social science research methods and the operationalization of the research findings. Critically reviews shortcomings of the research methods commonly used by social scientists in Africa, with emphasis on those related to the choice of research problems, data collection, termination of field work, and preparation and publication of final reports. Presents an illustration of a case study, whereby a 'new social science research methodology', in which the research not only involves and benefits the researchers but also the researched people (participatory research) and their respective countries while contributing to the scientific development of the science itself, has been applied in the study of continuity and change among the Hadzabe hunter-gatherers in Tanzania. The research was initiated to find out reasons for the reluctance of the Hadzabe to sedentarize and engage in agricultural production, even though they are sometimes employed as agricultural labourers. This was found out to be, by actively involving them in the research process, the advantages they saw for themselves in maintaining their traditional way of life as foragers. This conflicted with official efforts to sedentarize them and thereby make them comply with the villagization scheme. This met with failure, even with inducements. There had also been a lack of trust in researchers and an uncooperativeness in the research process. The findings of the study have been made widely known. Concludes with a summation of the major observations and general conclusions that have become apparent from this exercise, which have revealed the need for to revise the tools for social science investigations so as to make it flexible; to transform research from being an extractive exercise; to change its aim from solely understanding to emancipation; to change attitudes of social scientists; and to put more emphasis on participatory research.
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