essay

Traditional market economy in south Dahomey

markets in africa (9) • Published In 1962 • Pages: 89-102

By: Tardits, Claudine, Tardits, Claude.

Abstract
Originally published as a chapter in an edited volume on “Markets in Africa,” this document provides detailed description of the market economy in South Dahomey. It shows that the region has long established trading centers connecting rural villages with cities and the international economy. When conducting fieldwork in the region in 1954-1955, the authors observed that “one can walk scarcely five or six miles without coming across a market place.” One of these markets, which provided detailed information for this study, was a densely populated rural village that served as an active market place for exchange among farmers inhabiting different agro-ecological zones. Marketing as an economic activity was well-integrated in the gender-based division of labor; men specialized in farming or fishing while women marketed the produce. Women exercised control over income from profits and this gave them significant economic power including the ability to engage in a lucrative deal of lending money to their husbands against their future crops.
Subjects
Community structure
Internal trade
Exchange transactions
External trade
Division of labor by gender
Gender status
Gender roles and issues
Family relationships
Production and supply
Buying and selling
Wholesale marketing
Retail marketing
Saving and investment
Credit
culture
Fon
HRAF PubDate
2016
Region
Africa
Sub Region
Western Africa
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Anthropologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Teferi Abate Adem
Field Date
1954-1955
Coverage Date
1954-1955
Coverage Place
Benin (Dahomey)
Notes
by Claudine and Claude Tardits
LCCN
61012383
LCSH
Fon (African people)