The Taming of Fate

S. Macamo

Description

This book is about how extreme situations appearing to have a destructive potential can actually be used to produce meaningful individual and social lives. It is about the “taming of fate”. This notion means and accounts for the ability of individuals and communities to rebuild their lives against all odds. The book is based on case-studies that draw from theoretical insights derived from the sociology of disasters. It addresses some limitations of the sociology of risk, chief among which is the rejection of the relevance of the notion of risk to the study of technologically non-advanced societies. The book argues that this rejection has deprived the study of the human condition of an important analytical asset. The book claims that risk is a property of social action which can best be understood through the analytical scrutiny of its role in the historical constitution of social relations.

Sujets

• Sociology

Informations

• Publié par: CODESRIA
• Date de parution: 05 juillet 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782869787407
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 15 Mo

Extrait

he Tamîng o Fate

his book is a product of CODESRIA Book Project.

To Lucy Bonnerjea, my înteectua mentor, wo brougt dîsasters to my attentîon.

he Tamîng o Fate

Approacîng Rîsk rom a Socîa Actîon Perspectîve

Case Studîes rom Soutern Mozambîque

Elísîo S. Macamo

Councî or te Deveopment o Socîa Scîence Researc în Arîca DAKAR

©CODESRIA 2017 Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop, Angle Canal IV BP 3304 Dakar, 18524, Senegal Website: www.codesria.org ISBN: 9782869787193

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission from CODESRIA.

Typesetting: Djibril Fall Cover Design: Ibrahima Fofana

Distributed in Africa by CODESRIA Distributed elsewhere by African Books Collective, Oxford, UK Website: www.africanbookscollective.com

The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) is an independent organisation whose principal objectives are to facilitate research, promote researchbased publishing and create multiple forums geared towards the exchange of views and information among African researchers. All these are aimed at reducing the fragmentation of research in the continent through the creation of thematic research networks that cut across linguistic and regional boundaries.

CODESRIA publishesAfrica Development, the longest standing Africa based social science journal;Afrika Zamani, a journal of history; theAfrican Sociological Review; the African Journal of International Affairs;Africa Review of Booksand theJournal of Higher Education in Africa. The Council also copublishes theAfrica Media Review;Identity, Culture and Politics: An AfroAsian Dialogue;The African Anthropologist, Journal of African Tranformation, Method(e)s: African Review of Social Sciences Methodology, and theAfro Arab Selections for Social Sciences. The results of its research and other activities are also disseminated through its Working Paper Series, Green Book Series, Monograph Series, Book Series, Policy Briefs and the CODESRIA Bulletin. Select CODESRIA publications are also accessible online at www.codesria.org.

CODESRIA would like to express its gratitude to the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Ford Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), the Danish Agency for International Development (DANIDA), the Rockefeller Foundation, the Open Society Foundations (OSFs), TrustAfrica, UNESCO, the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), The Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), Andrew Mellon Foundation, and the Government of Senegal for supporting its research, training and publication programmes.

Contents

Acknowedgmentîx ............................................................................................................................................................................. Lîst o Fîgures and Tabesxî ....................................................................................................................................................... Lîst o Appendîcesxîîî ....................................................................................................................................................................... Transcrîptîon Symbosxv ..............................................................................................................................................................

1.

2.

Copîng wît Crîses and Dîsasters în Soutern Mozambîque 1 ....................................... Introductîon 1 ............................................................................................................................................................................  he Context o Researc 2 .............................................................................................................................  Enter Dîsasters and Crîses 4 .........................................................................................................................  Loca Agency 8 ............................................................................................................................................................. he Structure o te Book 15 ..................................................................................................................................  Genera Structure and heoretîca Capters 15 ....................................................................  he Case Studîes 17 ...............................................................................................................................................  he Concudîng Part 19 ....................................................................................................................................

Part One heoretîcal and Metodologîcal Issues

Studyîng Arîca 25 ................................................................................................................................................................ Introductîon 25 ........................................................................................................................................................................ Studyîng Arîca, Understandîng Patrîce Lumumba 28 .............................................................. he Probem o Order 32 .............................................................................................................................................  Contîngency and Socîa Actîon 41 .......................................................................................................  Socîa Actîon and Meanînguness 46 ...............................................................................................  he Nature o te (Socîa) Word 51 .................................................................................................. Arîcan Objects 55 ................................................................................................................................................................

vî

3.

4.

5.

6.

he Tamîng o Fate: Approacîng Rîsk rom a Socîa Actîon Perspectîve

Rîsk and Socîa Reaîty 57 ........................................................................................................................................... Engagîng Wît Rîsk 57 ................................................................................................................................................... Socîa Reatîonsîps, Trust and Predîctabîîty 62 ..............................................................................  Encounters and te Fragîîty o Socîa Reatîonsîps 64 .............................................  Interactîon and Emergîng Propertîes 70 ........................................................................................ Makîng Rîsk Reevant 75 ..............................................................................................................................................

Metodoogîca Issues: Contexts o Actîon 79 .................................................................................... Introductîon 79 ........................................................................................................................................................................  Excursîon: Wat does ît Mean to Say tat Peope Act  în Order to Act? 80 .................................................................................................................................................  Warrants or Empîrîca Groundîng 85 .............................................................................................  Mundane Reasonîng 88 ..................................................................................................................................... Patrîce Lumumba Communa Vîage 89 ..................................................................................................  he Reaîty o Uncertaînty în Patrîce Lumumba 92 ........................................................  he Lîeword o Patrîce Lumumba 104 ........................................................................................ An Anaytîca Framework: Transatîng Hazards înto Rîsks 105 .......................................  An Anaytîca Framework or Descrîptîve Inerence 105 ............................................  he Operatîona Dîmensîon o te Framework 107 ........................................................  he Metodoogîca Too-box 110 ........................................................................................................

Part Two Studîes în Copîng wît Dîsasters and Crîses

Wen Dîsaster Strîkes 117 ........................................................................................................................................... Introductîon 117 .....................................................................................................................................................................  Documentîng a Dîsaster 118 .......................................................................................................................  he Group Intervîews 121 .............................................................................................................................. he Process o Socîay Constructîng Dîsaster 121 ......................................................................... Anaytîca Integratîon 124 ............................................................................................................................................  he Object o Dîscourse 125 .......................................................................................................................  he Drougt as te Cause o te Dîsaster 128 .......................................................................

Conlîctîng Interpretatîons o Reaîty 137 ................................................................................................ Interpretîng Reaîty 137 ..................................................................................................................................................  Interpretîve Hegemony 139 ..........................................................................................................................

Contents

7.

8.

vîî

 Descrîptîve Itînerary 140 ..................................................................................................................................  Peasants în te Lîmpopo Vaey 141 ....................................................................................................  Standard Peasant Reactîons 148 ............................................................................................................... Loca and Externa Expanatîons o te Foods 149 .......................................................................  Socîa Dîstrîbutîon o Knowedge 149 .............................................................................................  he Externa Probem-sovîng Structure 151 ............................................................................  he Loca Interpretîve Dîversîty 153 .................................................................................................. Makîng Lîe Predîctabe 159 .....................................................................................................................................  An Empîrîca Iustratîon 160 .....................................................................................................................  he Code System 163 ..........................................................................................................................................  Anaysîs 164 ..................................................................................................................................................................... Anaytîca Integratîon 173 ............................................................................................................................................  Wordvîews 174 ...........................................................................................................................................................  Fact and Trut 175 ..................................................................................................................................................  Strugges Over Interpretîve Hegemony 177 ...............................................................................

War Reugees 179 ................................................................................................................................................................... he Mozambîcan Cîvî War as seen by Reugees 179 .................................................................. Membersîp Categorîsatîon Devîces 180 ................................................................................................... Common-Sense Meanîngs o War 182 .........................................................................................................  Experîencîng te War 183 ...............................................................................................................................  Retrîevîng Socîa Reaîty 186 ....................................................................................................................... Anaytîca Integratîon 193 ............................................................................................................................................  Accountîng or Dîsaster 193 .........................................................................................................................  ‘Doîng’ Dîsaster 195 ..............................................................................................................................................

Arîcan Crîstîan Converts and te Creatîon o Locaîty 197 ........................................... Introductîon 197 .....................................................................................................................................................................  he Word Accordîng to Kanana 1 199 ..........................................................................................  Producîng a Bîograpy 202 ........................................................................................................................... Dîferent Bîograpîes 205 .............................................................................................................................................  Two Women 205 ........................................................................................................................................................  Redeinîng Identîtîes 208 ................................................................................................................................. Anaytîca Integratîon 212 ............................................................................................................................................

vîîî

9.

he Tamîng o Fate: Approacîng Rîsk rom a Socîa Actîon Perspectîve

Part hree Conclusîon he Tamîng o Fate 217 .................................................................................................................................................. Strugges Over Meanîng 217 .....................................................................................................................................  Wose Meanîng? 218 ...........................................................................................................................................  he Caenge o Inteîgîbîîty 219 ..................................................................................................... he Tamîng o Fate: Reevance, Knowedge and Certaînty 222 ......................................  he Socîa and Natura Areas o Reevance o Patrîce Lumumba  Vîage 222 .........................................................................................................................................................................  he Knowedge o Patrîce Lumumba Vîage 223 ...............................................................  he Certaînty o Patrîce Lumumba Vîage 224 ...................................................................  Summarîsîng Fîndîngs 224 ............................................................................................................................ Darîng to Lîve 231 ................................................................................................................................................................

Appendîces233 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... Notes275 ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ Bîbîograpy287 .................................................................................................................................................................................... ïndex305 .......................................................................................................................................................................................................

Acknowedgement

I wîs to tank CODESRIA, troug îts ormer Executîve Secretary, Ebrîma Sa, but especîay te Pubîcatîons Department or te opportunîty tat tey ave gîven me to reac a broader Arîcan readersîp. he researc upon wîc te book îs based was unded by te German Researc Councî (DFG), to wîc I am grateu, wîtîn te ramework o te Humanîtîes Coaboratîve Researc Programme “Loca Actîon în a Goba Context” o te Unîversîty o Bayreut, în Germany. I tank a te coeagues tere or te înspîrîng dîscussîons and te earnîng experîence. My specîa tanks go to Pro. Dîeter Neubert, my mentor ten and te ead o te researc project wîc produced tîs pîece o work. I spent wonderu years at te Unîversîty o Bayreut, îrst for my PD tess under te extremey engtenng supervson of Prof. Zngere, for wose generosty and counse ï w be forever gratefu, ten for my “Habtaton” under Deter Neubert’s supervson wo as been a cose nteectua frend and a contnung source of nspraton. We ï take fu responsbty for te sortcomngs and omssons n ts book, te autorsp of most deas n t s ard to dentfy because Deter Neubert and ï worked so cose togeter. We ad passonate dscussons on te îed n Mozambque, n te oIce n Bayreut and at conferences a over te word. Key nsgts from tose dscussons went nto ts book and make m an unnamed co-autor. ï am greaty ndebted to s frendsp, nterest n te work, passonate engagement and, of course, te opportunty wc e gave me to work as s assstant for egt years at te Unversty of Base. ït s approprate to seze ts opportunty to aso tank my famy and a te frends and coeagues wo put up wt me aong te way for ter support and ove. Fnay, ï aso ws to tank Nge Stepenson for te great copy-edtng work.