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.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Memory, social relationships, social networks, host-stranger relationships, national and local-level politics
English
2004
74
3
383
410
none
Bellagamba, A. (2004). Entrustment and its changing political meanings in Fuladu, The Gambia, 1880-1994. AFRICA, 74(3), 383-410.
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/5873
Citazioni
  • Scopus 13
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 8
Social impact