The practice of entrustment is a form of voluntary allegiance for the sake of protection, one which historically lies at the core of host-stranger relationships along the River Gambia. Deeply woven into the social fabric of local communities, it was appropriated by diffrent historical subjects during the twentieth century in order to construct networks of political confidence and mutual assistance at a local and national level. This article traces this dynamic process of re-elaboration. In so doing, it takes into account the history of a Mandinka commercial settlement in eastern Gambia from the late nineteenth century to post-Independence times, and questions the shifts that occurred in the political significance of entrustment with changing social and economic scenarios. Contextualised in the longue durée, entrustment shows its relevance as a cultural resource that encourages the creation of networks of trust and interdependence in social settings historically characterised by seasonal and more stable forms of migration.
Bellagamba, A. (2004). Entrustment and its changing political meanings in Fuladu, The Gambia, 1880-1994. AFRICA, 74(3), 383-410.
Entrustment and its changing political meanings in Fuladu, The Gambia, 1880-1994
BELLAGAMBA, ALICE
2004
Abstract
The practice of entrustment is a form of voluntary allegiance for the sake of protection, one which historically lies at the core of host-stranger relationships along the River Gambia. Deeply woven into the social fabric of local communities, it was appropriated by diffrent historical subjects during the twentieth century in order to construct networks of political confidence and mutual assistance at a local and national level. This article traces this dynamic process of re-elaboration. In so doing, it takes into account the history of a Mandinka commercial settlement in eastern Gambia from the late nineteenth century to post-Independence times, and questions the shifts that occurred in the political significance of entrustment with changing social and economic scenarios. Contextualised in the longue durée, entrustment shows its relevance as a cultural resource that encourages the creation of networks of trust and interdependence in social settings historically characterised by seasonal and more stable forms of migration.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.