Livelihood Strategies in African Cities: The Case of Residents in Bamenda, Cameroon
This paper analyses the livelihood strategies of residents in the city of Bamenda, Cameroon. It argues that the informal economy is not the preserve of the poor. Middle income households also play a crucial role. Informal economic activities permit the middle class to diversify their sources of income as well as accumulate capital. It examines the role of class in the informal economy and analyses the impact of policy on those involved in informal economic activities. The paper reveals that formality, informality and policy are intertwined, thus making livelihood strategies in cities complex.
An Urban “Mixity”: Spatial Dynamics of Social Interactions and Human Behaviors in the Abese informal Quarter of La Dadekotopon, Ghana
Informal settlements form part of the socio-spatial landscape of urban areas. Yet little is known about their spatial aspects, compared to the social aspects. With global attention on sustainable cities and inclusive urban planning, there is a need to pay attention to the spatial dynamics of human behavior and interactions as they have ramifications for the sustainable planning and design of informal spaces. Using observation and mapping, this paper emphasizes the spatial dynamics of social interactions and human behavior in the indigenous settlement of the Abese quarter of La Dadekotopon, Ghana. Spatially, the study identifies a hierarchical, irregular, and open system of roads and alleys that support residents’ everyday life. An “urban mixity” pattern of human behavior exists in the quarter, which denotes the social and physical use of informal urban spaces by residents to fulfill different needs at various times of the day. This creates lively urban spaces within the quarter. The location and physical characteristics, microclimate, and residents’ needs have contributed to this kind of informal urban spaces. This paper argues for planning and design improvement that integrate, rather than supplant, existing local physical characteristics, social interactions and human behaviors to maintain local identity and sustain urban life.
Indonesian Economics. The Concept of Dualism in Theory and Policy
land since World War II to the international environment. The implied assumption throughout most of the book is that the emerging Thai political system has been largely insulated from external events and motivated only by internal political, economic, and social forces. While no foreign power has controlled the government of Thailand since World War II, the contending powers that emerged in Southeast Asia in the aftermath of the war and the struggle for power inherent in the Cold War have certainly exerted some influence on domestic politics in Thailand. Since 1948 the Communist threat has given the executive power an excuse to assume expanding authority which has gradually weakened and in 1958 finally destroyed the power of the legislature. A narrow, militant anti-Communism has encouraged the party in power to remove political rivals with the charge that they are "Communist." The United States has played a limited but significant role in this centralizing process. The large-scale American military aid program in Thailand has done much to strengthen the political power of the Thai military leaders and encourage more extensive military interference in the political, economic, and social life of the nation. To some extent Phibun was able to maintain his precarious position as Prime Minister from 1947 to 1957 because he was instrumental in obtaining highly desired foreign aid from the United States. When the showdown came between Phao and Sarit in September, 1957, probably one reason Phao decided not to fight was that his Americanequipped police force was only half the size of Sarit's American-equipped army. One reason why political parties, pressure groups, and public opinion have not developed in recent years in Thailand is that American policy has encouraged the military leaders to maintain a tight centralized control over the country and suppress opposition to the government. In brief, there is a large and complex area of research involving the interaction of international politics on domestic politics and the politics of foreign aid which must be added to a study of this kind before an accurate and realistic picture of politics in Thailand is obtained.