Forms of Familial, Economic, and Political Association in Angola Today: A Foundational Sociology of an African State

“Combining quantitative and qualitative data gathered through questionnaires and in-depth interviewing, the author provides an innovative approach to the themes of the research grounded in a solid empirical basis that takes the diversity of the contexts into account. Her conclusions are relevant not only to the knowledge of the workings of the informal economy in Angola and among its Diaspora but also to an enriched understanding of the complex processes implicated in contemporary globalization.” – Prof. José Manuel Sobral, Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa

FOREWORD by Keith Hart
AUTHOR’S PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
The difficult ‘border’ between the formal and the informal
Cross border movements in the Angolan globalised society
Section 1: Connecting Context and Methodology Chapter 1: Contextual Background
The Luanda – Huambo Axis
Trends in the post-war informal economy of Luanda
Urban growth and commercial activities in Huambo
The markets in Huambo and Luanda
Diaspora
Trends in Angolan migratory flows to Portugal
Young Angolans in the diaspora: informality and labor integration
Namibe
The desert traders
Cunene
Historical precedents
Characterization of the region
Movements in Cunene – trade
Cabinda.
Development and trade
Chapter 2: Methodology
The fieldwork: data collection conditions on the ground
Luanda-Huambo Axis
Diaspora
Questionnaire collection locations
Reactions to the questionnaires
Namibe
Cunene
Cabinda
Section II – Social Capital, Networks and Sociabilities Introduction
Chapter 1: The socio-demographic characterization of respondents
Age and gender differences
Professional background
Household composition
Schooling
Province of origin and nationality
Summary
Chapter 2: Associative life
Forms and conjunctures of association belonging
Types of association belonged to
Hierarchy and association participation
Benefits and services accessed
Association management and operation
Informal Associativism
Summary
Chapter 3: Informal dynamics and labor market
Informal labor in the diaspora
Informal working in Namibe: the desert traders
Informal trade networks in Luanda/Huambo and Cunene
Products retailed
Acquisition and product supply
Informal company characteristics: startup capital and legality
Summary
Chapter 4: Trust and solidarity
Levels of trust
Mutual help and solidarity
Summary
Chapter 5: Sociabilities
Social networks
Difficult to access goods or activities
Civic participation and collective action
Working for the benefit of the community
Authority, empowerment and political action
Access to information and the media
Summary
Suggestions for future research
Bibliography
Index