Morality and Economic Growth in Rural West Africa

Paul Clough (1949-2019) was Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Malta. His D.Phil. from Oxford University was runner-up for the Audrey Richards Prize in 1996, awarded by the International African Institute every two years for the best thesis in any branch of African studies.

“Clough's large and data-packed book… is directly contesting a truism of contemporary economics and politics, that there is only one way to do markets and that Western-style capitalism will and must sweep all other ways of conducting market behavior before it… One of the most fascinating points that Clough makes is the impact of Islam on labor relations…” • Anthropology Review Database“This is a remarkable book…The field work is of extraordinary richness. It studies … the core aspects of any rural economy, indeed of any economy: land, labour, credit, markets, investment, inequalities, accumulation… The study is meticulous in its attention to detail and sensitive to the people whom he is studying. The statistical material is richer, more extensive, better grounded, and thus more accurate in its measurements than in any other West African study of which I am aware. The concept which binds the study, ‘non-capitalist accumulation’, is distinctive and original and will make a new and valuable contribution to future research of rural societies.” • Gavin Williams, Oxford University“The [author’s] period of fieldwork results in an amazingly dense description of economic processes. Quantitative and qualitative data is analysed and presented in a fascinating manner. The chapters on money lending, on labour relations and on trade I rate superb… the theoretical analysis and modeling is highly significant and important.” • Michael Bollig, University of Cologne

• List of Maps, Tables, Charts and FiguresPrefaceMapsIntroduction: Methods of Fieldwork and AnalysisChapter 1. An Introduction to the Political Economy and Culture of Marmara HamletChapter 2. The Cultural Logic of Non-Capitalist AccumulationChapter 3. Land Distribution and Land TransfersChapter 4. Farm Labouring SystemsChapter 5. Credit Relations and Social ConsumptionChapter 6. Inter-regional Produce MarketsChapter 7. Rural Produce Traders and Wealth AcquisitionChapter 8. Economic Change from 1985 to 1998Chapter 9. Change, Continuity – and GrowthAppendix I: Basic Information on Household Heads, Marmara, 1979Appendix II: Innovation, Agricultural Extension and YieldsAppendix III: All Landholding Household Heads Grouped by Labour Practices During the Weeding Operation, 1978Appendix IV: Household Consumption of Food Grain and Soup Ingredients` (Cefane)Appendix V: Trading Purchases, Sales and Margins of `M`, 1978Appendix VI: Land Sales and Labour Use, Marmara, 1978 and 1979Glossary of Key Hausa Words in the TextBibliography