Gender, land, and livelihoods in East Africa : through farmers' eyes

This book illustrates in rich detail the complexity and diversity of women’s lives in Maragoli, western Kenya, as they work to sustain their soils and negotiate a plethora of competing demands and constraints in an increasingly stressful economic environment. With extensive use of personal narratives and photographs from the farmers of Maragoli, this book demonstrates that soil degradation is not simply a function of population pressure and ignorance; rather, it is embedded in gender relations and complex struggles at the local level. Contents 6 Foreword 10 Preface 14 Dedication and Acknowledgements 16 PART I: Introduction 20 Chapter One: Introduction 22 Conventional approaches to soil management and farming 26 An alternative approach 36 The organization of this book 46 Chapter Two: Gender-based Research Methodology 50 An appropriate cross-cultural research methodology 51 The research journey 57 Reflections on research as a dynamic political process 69 Conclusions 77 PART II: The Context 78 Chapter Three: Maragoli in Context 80 History 83 Political-economy 87 Culture and society 93 Conclusions 95 PART IIl: The Gendered Terrain of the Farm 96 Chapter Four: Gender and the Micropolitics of Land 98 Historical struggles over land 100 "Without land you are nobody": contemporary meanings of land 103 The contemporary micropolitics of land 107 Contemporary struggles over land and meaning 116 Conclusions 132 PART IV: Gender and the Politics of Labour: Between Toil and Soil 134 Chapter Five: The Diversity of Farmers' Gendered Experiences 136 "The Avalogoli Way": ordering gender roles and responsibilities 137 Marital status 144 Class and social differentiation 158 Age and changing life-cycle positioning 162 Conclusions 170 Chapter Six: Diverse Farming and Soil Management Practices: "Don't You Know That Agriculture and Soils are the Same Thing?" 172 The reinforcement of gendered boundaries: planting trees and hedges 175 Digging trenches 179 Managing livestock and using fertilizers 181 Digging and clearing land for planting 185 Growing cash and subsistence crops 187 Conclusions 195 PART V: Expanding the Terrain of Soils and Farming Analysis 198 Chapter Seven: "Walking Where Men Walk": The Increasing Importance of Providing Cash 200 "Foolishness has got no medicine": changing priorities in economically precarious times 201 The exacerbation of cash requirements and the consequent intensification of women's labour 203 "Providing" through multiple income-generating activities and occupations 212 "Kugurana": the strategy of barter and exchange 220 Conclusions 222 Chapter Eight: Social Institutions: Invoking Elements of Custom, Creating Space to Maneuver 224 Kinship relations: investing in reciprocal rights and obligations 226 Social organizations 232 Non-sanctioned social relations 242 Conclusions 249 Chapter Nine: Conclusion: Rethinking the 'Problem' of Soil Degradation and Sustainable Farming 252 Enriching our understanding of the complexity of farmers' lives 253 Enriching the interface between researchers and farmers through policy, research, and action 259 Acronyms and Abbreviations 270 Glossary 271 Bibliography 272 Extrait de la couverture : "In rural Africa and the Middle East, many ecosystems are on the verge of collapse. The interplay of social, ecological, and political-economic forces has compromised the ability of farmers to sustain their precious soil. As a result, farmers, and especially women farmers, face a constant daily struggle to survive. This book illustrate in rich detail the complexity and diversity of women's lives in Maragoli, western Kenya, as they work to sustain their soils and negociate a plethora of competing demands and constraints in an increasingly stressful economic environment. With extensive use of personal narratives and photographs from the farmers of Maragoli, this book demonstrates that soil degradation is not simply a function of population pressure and ignorance ; raher, it is embedded in gender relations and complex struggles at the local level." In rural Africa and the Middle East, many ecosystems are on the verge of collapse. The interplay of social, ecological, and political-economic forces has compromised the ability of farmers to sustain their precious soil. Consequently, farmers -- and especially women farmers -- face a constant struggle to survive.This book illustrates in rich detail the complexity and diversity of women's lives in Maragoli, western Kenya, as they work to sustain their soils and negotiate a plethora of competing demands an constraints in an increasingly stressful economic environment. With extensive use of personal narratives and photographs from the farmers of Maragoli, this book demonstrates that soil degradation is not simply a function of population pressure and ignorance; rather, it is embedded in gender relations and complex struggles at the local level.