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7 - ‘Cattle without Legs’

Structural Transformation in Botswana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 November 2022

Elliott D. Green
Affiliation:
London School of Economics and Political Science
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Summary

In Chapter 7 I move onto the case study of Botswana, which in contrast to Somalia and Uganda has experienced structural transformation due in large part to its diamond industry. Industrialization in Botswana has led to a sectoral shift out of agriculture as workers have left rural areas to move to cities and join the modern workforce, thereby leading to a decline in the relative value of rural land. I employ both qualitative and quantitative evidence to show that ethnic fractionalization has declined in Botswana since the mid-twentieth-century and examine parliamentary debates around ethnic identity. Moreover, I show that this shift has happened not because of but largely despite efforts of the Botswanan state, which has both discouraged rural-urban migration and failed to alleviate institutional ethnic inequalities that persist to the present day. Finally, I consider alternative explanations for ethnic homogenization in Botswana and find them all wanting.

Type
Chapter
Information
Industrialization and Assimilation
Understanding Ethnic Change in the Modern World
, pp. 136 - 160
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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  • ‘Cattle without Legs’
  • Elliott D. Green, London School of Economics and Political Science
  • Book: Industrialization and Assimilation
  • Online publication: 18 November 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009268356.007
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  • ‘Cattle without Legs’
  • Elliott D. Green, London School of Economics and Political Science
  • Book: Industrialization and Assimilation
  • Online publication: 18 November 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009268356.007
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • ‘Cattle without Legs’
  • Elliott D. Green, London School of Economics and Political Science
  • Book: Industrialization and Assimilation
  • Online publication: 18 November 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009268356.007
Available formats
×