Reviews

Synopsis

Based on the fieldwork of author, Katherine Snyder, this book considers the rural development of the Iraqw of Tanzania - a little-studied group of mixed pastoralist-agriculturalists Snyder focuses on how the Iraqw perceive, respond to, and affect development in Tanzania. She explores how the ideology of development affects people's actions - from what crops to plant, to what to wear and do at their weddings - and considers how issues of development play out between elders and juniors, men and women, wealthy and poor. She demonstrates too the creativity of local actors in adapting to new ideological shifts and using the rhetoric of development to pursue their own goals. Avoiding jargon and making extensive use of vignettes - stories of peoples' lives and incidents - The Iraqw of Tanzania illustrates its themes in a lively and fascinating style.