Money and violence : financial self-help groups in a South African township / / by Erik Bähre.

• Superior document: Afrika-Studiecentrum series, v. 8
• Author: Bähre, Erik.
• Year of Publication: 2007
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Afrika-Studiecentrum series ; v. 8.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (203 p.)
• Notes: Revised thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Amsterdam, [2002].

This ethnographic study reveals how financial self-help groups (burial societies and credit groups) are islands of hope for Xhosa migrants living in the townships and squatter camps of Cape Town, South Africa. Many are caught up in a sea of insecurity, unemployment, murder, rape, AIDS, and social conflict, entangled with apartheid politics as well as post-apartheid development. Particularly women create these de-politicized social spaces to feel secure and trusted, and know that money is subject to their control. This intimate account challenges romanticized views on urban poverty and solidarity groups. It explores the anxiety among members, the fragility of trust and solidarity, as well as the emergence of conflicts with kin, household members, and neighbours, over desperately needed money.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The (Post)Colonial Economy And Social Relations -- 3 The Economy Of Development And Social Relations -- 4 Creating Mutuals: Reluctant Solidarity -- 5 Maintaining Mutuals: Hope For Islands Of Trust -- 6 Spending Money: Consumption, Friendship And Friction -- 7 Conclusion -- References -- Index.