| Bio | 
| Presentation/Paper |
Marcy Hessling
Wayne State University
Subject Listing - Sociology/Anthropology
Advisor: Dr. Guérin Montilus
Friday, Oral Session 5, Presentation 5, Carmichael Hall 230
LA SOLIDARITE AFRICAINE EST ENCORE UNE REALITE A STUDY OF URBAN MIGRATION IN BENIN
Do young African men and women who have migrated to urban areas to attend university return to rural communities when their education is complete? This is an important area of research for several reasons. In 2004 the percentage of the world's population that lives in urban areas exceeded the percentage of the population living in rural areas for the first time in known history. Although cities offer distinct opportunities, there are also downfalls including poverty and lack of strong kinship networks once an individual has left their rural community. In addition, the infrastructure of many cities in developing countries is often unable to keep up with the influx of new residents. My research, performed under the joint direction of Wayne State University and Universit‚ d'Abomey-Calavi, Centre Béninois de Langues Etrangères, was designed to determine some of the causes and consequences of urban migration as it relates to university students in Beacute;nin, West Africa. While the majority of students do not return to their home villages, there are efforts to maintain solidarity through both monetary and social means. In the field I used qualitative research methods including participant observation, structured interviews and life histories of students and professors. Upon return to the United States I utilized Atlas.ti qualitative data analysis software to discover themes in my multi-lingual data (English, French and Fongbe). My findings focus on kinship, politics, economics, and tradition as they relate to African solidarity in the midst of a changing society.
Advisor: Dr. Guérin Montilus, Professor, Department of Anthropology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI