The informal sector in African societies and economies: A case study of Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Item
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Title
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The informal sector in African societies and economies: A case study of Freetown, Sierra Leone.
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Identifier
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AAI9959211
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identifier
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9959211
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Creator
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Nyei, Mohamed Baakiru.
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Contributor
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Adviser: William Kornblum
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Date
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2000
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Sociology, Social Structure and Development | History, African | Economics, Labor
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Abstract
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This dissertation examines the role of informal economy in Africa. Not too long ago social scientists concerned with economic development were engaged in a debate defined by the dichotomy of two economic sectors in developing countries---identified as "traditional" and "modern." The debate focused primarily on structural differences between the so-called traditional and modern institutions, assuming no economic integration and no technological diffusion between tradition and modernity. Nevertheless, as we venture beyond this dichotomy we immediately encounter an inexhaustible phenomenon, the "informal sector," which cuts across the lines between the two societies and cultures. The existence of a large informal sector in African societies and economies has much to do with dialectical relationships between cultures---the African, Western, and Islamic. The informal economy is therefore a necessary component of Africa's economic life. The idea for this dissertation stemmed from this reality. It is an attempt to fill the gap between empirical evidence and historical development of the informal economic sector in Africa. It analyzes the role of informal sector in Africa's economic trajectories by examining its ties to the indigenous and household economies.;In recent years the interest of scholars has focused increasingly on the growth and development of what is now labeled as "the informal economy." Very little is known about the origins of the informal economy in Africa and not much is known about its social and political dynamics, its relation to internal and external economies, or how its activities are organized. Its size and scope are almost impossible to measure statistically. Thus, to be able to draw any meaningful conclusion about the potential of the informal economy in Africa, one must understand its historical origins. To do that requires an in-depth study of the informal economy within a historical context in order to retrieve what was indiscreetly buried in the interest of "modernity." Neither the comparative advantage nor the social and political significance of the informal economy can be fully understood without taking into account its unique attributes, which are deeply rooted in Africa's historical and economic circumstances.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
