"Opitanha" Social Relations of Rural Poverty in Northern Mozambique
Research report
Permanent lenke
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2435766Utgivelsesdato
2006Metadata
Vis full innførselSamlinger
- Bora-import [434]
Sammendrag
Research-based information is recognised as crucial for Mozambique’s endeavours to reduceits poverty. This first report in a series of three qualitative studies on poverty in Mozambiquefocuses on the district of Murrupula in Nampula province. In Chapter 1 we argue that qualitativestudies are important for the monitoring and evaluation of poverty reduction policies. Theyinform quantitative data and correlations by testing causal hypotheses on the ground. Theydiscover processes and interdependencies related to non-tangible dimensions of poverty suchas vulnerability and powerlessness. They test and reassess central concepts and units of povertyanalysis. Finally, they involve the poor themselves in the analysis of their own situation in waysthat are difficult with formal questionnaire surveys.In Chapter 2 we present central quantitative expressions of poverty in Mozambiqueas points of reference. We start by outlining some of the broad development trends, includingurbanisation, feminisation of poverty and HIV/AIDS, and then analyse data on Mozambique andNampula to highlight similarities and differences. Chapter 3 provides a background profile of thearea under study, predicated on the assumption that the political, economic and socioculturalcontext is important for understanding social relations of poverty. A brief history emphasisinghow Murrupula was constrained in its development through the late colonial era, the Frelimosocialist experiment and the war leads into an outline of the responsibilities of the DistrictAdministration, the role of traditional authorities, and the overall social and economic situationin the district.Chapter 4 is built around the survey undertaken for this study, and outlines socioeconomicconditions and determinants of poverty with a focus on employment and income, education andhealth. It also looks at the implications of geographical space, especially distance from the maineconomic and population centres, for poverty and poverty alleviation. Chapter 5 focuses onthe issue of social relations of poverty, and processes of impoverishment, marginalisation andsocial exclusion. Its point of departure is people’s own emic perceptions of poverty, examiningrelationships between different categories of the poor within the household and the extendedfamily, traditional institutions and the state. Chapter 6 concludes, drawing some preliminarypolicy implications and outlining the planned follow-up of the current study in urban Maputo andcoastal Sofala respectively.
Utgiver
Chr. Michelsen InstituteSerie
Research reportR 2006: 16