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The Role of Voluntary Associations in West African Urbanization
Author(s) -
LITTLE KENNETH
Publication year - 1957
Publication title -
american anthropologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1548-1433
pISSN - 0002-7294
DOI - 10.1525/aa.1957.59.4.02a00020
Subject(s) - club , immigration , voluntary association , politics , history , urbanization , yoruba , citation , sociology , ethnology , anthropology , media studies , political science , law , economic growth , archaeology , medicine , linguistics , philosophy , anatomy , economics
T AKEN as a whole, the West African region was relatively unaffected by the modern world until the end of the 19th century. Modern development of the hinterland began with the British adoption of trusteeship as colonial policy and with the British and French realization that these territories constituted an expanding market for imported goods as well as important sources of mineral and raw materials needed by the metropolitan country. The French were also concerned with the question of military manpower. These factors were finally crystallized by World War II and the events following it. The British war effort demanded greatly increased supplies of palm kernels, cotton, cocoa, and other locally grown products as well as hides, tin, iron ore, etc., which the colonial governments concerned were required to stimulate (cf. Fortes 1945:205-219). Since the War there have been resettlement schemes, new industries and constructional projects have been instituted, and there has been a general improvement in communications by road, rail, and air. With the strategic implications of West Africa in the struggle against Communism also becoming manifest, political development has also gone on very rapidly, and there has been a corresponding expansion of education and the social services.