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Moral Economy and the Marketspace in Northern Ghana

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Moral Economy and the Marketspace in Northern Ghana ! " #$%&%$'$$ ( ( )%#' * ( + ', - + ' , . ' / + 0 1 ( ++ + + - ' 2 , ( ( ( . ( +( (+ 3 '!(( - + '2 . + + ( ' , + + +( ( - '4 + - ( 5 ' 2 ' ( ( + '4 ( ( ( ' 5 (+( ( ( - '2 (+ + ( + - ' #$%& 677 ''78 9 6 66 6 %:";;& 24<"&<%""<"#=;% 24<"&<%""<"#=:& 2$=;"$&=$ (%$><% SMALL-SMALL Ulrik Jennische Small-Small Moral Economy and the Marketspace in Northern Ghana Ulrik Jennische ©Ulrik Jennische, Stockholm University 2018 ISBN print 978-91-7977-234-1 ISBN PDF 978-91-7977-235-8 ISSN 0347-0830 Cover photo: Aboabo lorry park, by author. Distributor: Department of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University Printed by: Universitetsservice US-AB, Stockholm 2018 Till Karla och Kleo Contents List of Figures........................................................................................................... iii Abbreviations.............................................................................................................iv Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................v A Small-Small Introduction........................................................................................1 Tamale ........................................................................................................................................ 9 Studying the Tamale Marketspace ............................................................................................ 12 Overview of the Study .............................................................................................................. 16 PART ONE 1| Understanding Small-Small ..................................................................................19 Politics of Informality ............................................................................................................... 19 Moral Economy ........................................................................................................................ 24 Place and Space in the Market .................................................................................................. 30 2| Tamale Marketspace in the Making ......................................................................37 Navigating the Tamale Marketspace......................................................................................... 39 The Northern Territories and the Dakpema............................................................................... 45 Abudus, Andanis, and Party-Politics in Tamale........................................................................ 47 Democracy Increasing Polarization........................................................................................... 52 Marketspace Expansion, Neoliberalism, and Formalization ..................................................... 55 Conclusions............................................................................................................................... 61 PART TWO 3| Claiming and Reclaiming in the Marketspace ......................................................65 Buying, Renting, and Inheriting Shops in the Central Market................................................... 66 Negotiations and Relations in the Streets.................................................................................. 71 The Assembly Reclaims Control............................................................................................... 75 Congested Streets and Stations ................................................................................................. 77 Extensions, Congestion, and Fires in the Central Market.......................................................... 83 Conclusions............................................................................................................................... 91 4| Norms, Outlook, and Breakdown..........................................................................95 Gradual Progress and Humbleness............................................................................................ 96 Letting Others In....................................................................................................................... 98 Moral Breakdowns.................................................................................................................. 101 i Sakawa, Religiosity and Political Engagement ....................................................................... 102 Foreign Influx ......................................................................................................................... 109 Conclusions............................................................................................................................. 112 5| Solidarity in Space ..............................................................................................115 Trading Across Divisions........................................................................................................116 Associations and Politics......................................................................................................... 118 Buying and Selling on Credit.................................................................................................. 123 Susu and State Regulation....................................................................................................... 127 The Pressures of Moral Obligations........................................................................................ 132 Feeling Free ............................................................................................................................ 135 Spatial Permanence................................................................................................................. 138 Conclusions............................................................................................................................. 143 PART THREE 6| Small-Small Politics............................................................................................147 The Unreliable State................................................................................................................ 148 The Polarizing State................................................................................................................ 152 The Obstructive State.............................................................................................................. 156 The Inclusive State.................................................................................................................. 159 Small-Small Citizenship .........................................................................................................164 Conclusions............................................................................................................................. 168 7| Situated Possibilities ...........................................................................................171 Youth and Employment .......................................................................................................... 172 Trading Youth......................................................................................................................... 174 Waiting in the Street ............................................................................................................... 180 Education Mentality................................................................................................................ 184 Trading Parents ....................................................................................................................... 189 Outside of Africa..................................................................................................................... 192 Joining a Political Party .......................................................................................................... 195 Conclusions............................................................................................................................. 197 Conclusion: Small-Small in Time and Space..........................................................199 The Morality and Practice of Small-Small.............................................................................. 200 Formalization and Citizen-Making ......................................................................................... 203 Permanence and Change ......................................................................................................... 206 Sammanfattning på svenska....................................................................................209 References...............................................................................................................213 ii List of Figures Figure 1. Map of Ghana ..............................................................................................8 Figure 2. Map of Tamale ..........................................................................................38 Figure 3. Tamale Central Market and the butcher house ..........................................43
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