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ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CRISES IN SIERRA LEONE : The Role of Small-scale Entrepreneurs in Petty Trading as a Strategy for Survival 1960-1996

Kamara, Fouday LU (2001) In Lund Dissertation in Sociology 42.
Abstract
Sierra Leone is a small country with rich mineral resources such as diamonds, bauxite, gold and iron ore. Other resources include fishing, forestry and fertile agricultural land, which enable people to farm without any sophisticated methods of mechanization. Nevertheless, with all its wealth in resources, the country is relatively poor and is one of the least developed countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa. This has led to an economic and social crisis as well as other complex problems, from political instability and patronage to corruption and economic mismanagement. This study is an effort to understand and discuss these problems and their impact on the lives of people of Sierra Leone.



The author discusses the economic... (More)
Sierra Leone is a small country with rich mineral resources such as diamonds, bauxite, gold and iron ore. Other resources include fishing, forestry and fertile agricultural land, which enable people to farm without any sophisticated methods of mechanization. Nevertheless, with all its wealth in resources, the country is relatively poor and is one of the least developed countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa. This has led to an economic and social crisis as well as other complex problems, from political instability and patronage to corruption and economic mismanagement. This study is an effort to understand and discuss these problems and their impact on the lives of people of Sierra Leone.



The author discusses the economic and social problems in Sierra Leone, and the role the small-scale entrepreneurs in petty trading as a strategy for socio-economic survival in the country. The people of Sierra Leone have succeeded in surviving the growing economic chaos.



The study is based on a number of interviews conducted in the country as well as related literature. Social networks, which expanded during this period, have become the hallmark for small-scale entrepreneurs and petty trading within the institutional framework of the country, both in the public and private sectors. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Målsättningen med avhandlingen är att analysera vilken roll småskaligt entreprenörskap som alternativ överlevnadsstrategi har spelat i Sierra Leone under den ekonomiska kris som drabbade landet efter självständighet på 1960-talet. Avhandlingen baseras på nätverksteori, snowball metod och det empiriska underlaget utgörs av en studie av utvecklingen i Sierra Leone, med avseende på bl. a hur olika ekonomiska utvecklingsprogram initieras, implementeras och påverkar landets utveckling. Varför misslyckas så många program, och hur ska programmen förstås i förhållande till den sociala, ideologiska och teknologiska utvecklingen?



Sierra Leone är ett litet land med rika naturtillgångar,... (More)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Målsättningen med avhandlingen är att analysera vilken roll småskaligt entreprenörskap som alternativ överlevnadsstrategi har spelat i Sierra Leone under den ekonomiska kris som drabbade landet efter självständighet på 1960-talet. Avhandlingen baseras på nätverksteori, snowball metod och det empiriska underlaget utgörs av en studie av utvecklingen i Sierra Leone, med avseende på bl. a hur olika ekonomiska utvecklingsprogram initieras, implementeras och påverkar landets utveckling. Varför misslyckas så många program, och hur ska programmen förstås i förhållande till den sociala, ideologiska och teknologiska utvecklingen?



Sierra Leone är ett litet land med rika naturtillgångar, bl.a. diamanter, bauxit, guld och järnmalm. Övriga tillgångar inkluderar fiske, skogsbruk och rik jordbruksmark, som kan odlas med tekniskt osofistikerade metoder. Trots dessa rikhaltiga resurser är landet relativt fattigt, och ett av de lägst utvecklade i Afrika söder om Sahara. Detta har lett till en ekonomisk och social kris samt en rad medföljande problem, från politisk instabilitet till korruption och ekonomisktvanstyre. Föreliggande studie syftar till att förstå och diskutera dessa problem och deras inverkan på människornas liv i Sierra Leone.



Författaren redogör för de ekonomiska och sociala problemen i Sierra Leone, och den roll småskalig handel har som en strategi för socioekonomisk överlevnad i landet. Befolkningen i Sierra Leone har lyckats överleva i det växande ekonomiska kaos som utgör vardagen i landet, genom att utveckla en affärskultur som bygger på småskaligt entreprenörskap och handel.



Studien baseras på ett antal intervjuer som genomförts i Sierra Leone, och som analyserats mot bakgrund av tillgänglig teoretisk litteratur. Ett viktigt resultat är upptäckten av utvecklade informella nätverk, som växt fram under den förevarande krisen, och som spelar en betydande roll för upprätthållandet av den småskaliga handeln och därmed centrala sociala ramverk i samhället, såväl inom den privata som offentliga sektorn. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Sverrisson, Arni
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Sociology, Sierra Leone, Social Networks and Survival Strategies, Family Business, Poverty alleviation, Petty Trading, Entrepreneurship, Business Culture, Development Issues, Economic Political and Social crises, Social economics, Economics of development, Sierra Leone, Sociologi, Social ekonomi, Utvecklingsekonomi
in
Lund Dissertation in Sociology
volume
42
pages
240 pages
publisher
Department of Sociology, Lund University
defense location
Carolinasalen, in Lund
defense date
2001-10-10 10:15:00
external identifiers
  • other:ISRN: LUSADG/SASO- -01/1142- -SE
ISSN
1102-4712
ISBN
91-7267-102-5
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a97e97d5-218d-4995-8163-8d9dbe7a893c (old id 20003)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:07:35
date last changed
2021-11-24 17:07:22
@phdthesis{a97e97d5-218d-4995-8163-8d9dbe7a893c,
  abstract     = {{Sierra Leone is a small country with rich mineral resources such as diamonds, bauxite, gold and iron ore. Other resources include fishing, forestry and fertile agricultural land, which enable people to farm without any sophisticated methods of mechanization. Nevertheless, with all its wealth in resources, the country is relatively poor and is one of the least developed countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa. This has led to an economic and social crisis as well as other complex problems, from political instability and patronage to corruption and economic mismanagement. This study is an effort to understand and discuss these problems and their impact on the lives of people of Sierra Leone.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The author discusses the economic and social problems in Sierra Leone, and the role the small-scale entrepreneurs in petty trading as a strategy for socio-economic survival in the country. The people of Sierra Leone have succeeded in surviving the growing economic chaos.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The study is based on a number of interviews conducted in the country as well as related literature. Social networks, which expanded during this period, have become the hallmark for small-scale entrepreneurs and petty trading within the institutional framework of the country, both in the public and private sectors.}},
  author       = {{Kamara, Fouday}},
  isbn         = {{91-7267-102-5}},
  issn         = {{1102-4712}},
  keywords     = {{Sociology; Sierra Leone; Social Networks and Survival Strategies; Family Business; Poverty alleviation; Petty Trading; Entrepreneurship; Business Culture; Development Issues; Economic Political and Social crises; Social economics; Economics of development; Sierra Leone; Sociologi; Social ekonomi; Utvecklingsekonomi}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Sociology, Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Dissertation in Sociology}},
  title        = {{ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CRISES IN SIERRA LEONE : The Role of Small-scale Entrepreneurs in Petty Trading as a Strategy for Survival 1960-1996}},
  volume       = {{42}},
  year         = {{2001}},
}