Social inequality in Africa

Titelangaben

Neubert, Dieter:
Social inequality in Africa.
In: Jodhka, Surinder S. ; Rehbein, Boike (Hrsg.): Global Handbook of Inequality. Volume 2. - Cham : Springer International Publishing , 2024 . - S. 1799-1819
ISBN 978-3-031-32151-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32152-8_90

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Abstract

Our sociological concepts and theories have been developed in the context of Europe and North America. The post-colonial debate reminds us that they need to be provincialized. For the analysis of inequality, simple measures such as the distribution of per capita income are still helpful. But we cannot take for granted that our standard concepts can be applied unchanged to other parts of the world with different societies and economies. For an understanding of inequality in Africa, we have to go beyond classical concepts and consider other scholarly debates. As shown by empirical studies, in Africa socio-economic positions are more vulnerable and volatile than in Europe and North America. People often combine different sources of income and their social position cannot be clearly defined by occupation or control of the means of production. Due to weak social security systems, semi-formal and informal networks play a decisive role in coping with shocks. These networks have a considerable influence on social position and patterns of inequality. The intersectional debate reminds us that inequality is also an outcome of socio-cultural factors (usually discussed are gender and race/ethnicity). In Africa, in addition to gender, we need to consider ethnicity, neo-traditional authorities and patron-client relationships, which all play a role in shaping inequality. At the same time, individual decisions make a difference in how people deal with neo-traditional structures and with semiformal and informal networks. The resulting differences in behaviour create socio-cultural distinctions that can be captured by using a milieu concept adapted to African contexts.