European University Institute Library

Population, tradition, and environmental control in colonial Kenya, Martin S. Shanguhyia

eng

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non fiction

Population, tradition, and environmental control in colonial Kenya

electronic resource

dictionaries

Martin S. Shanguhyia

Rochester studies in African history and the diaspora, v. 68Cambridge Social Sciences eBooks

Drawing from accounts of colonial experience in western Kenya, <I>Population, Tradition, and Environmental Control in Colonial Kenya</I> examines the government's efforts to enforce certain land management programs in relation to its initiatives to revive and co-opt African "traditions" in soil conservation and land consolidation programs. Martin Shanguhyia analyzes how these programs were negotiated or contested by the local community; further, he argues that their legacy continues to define the everyday experiences of the rural population in Vihiga County, Western Province, notably in termsof high population densities and diminishing returns from the land. Relying on a rich collection of archival sources as well as oral interviews, the book explores the intersection between government policies, demography, and community traditions within a rapidly declining natural environment and adds significantly to our understanding of Africa's environmental history.<BR><BR> Martin Shanguhyiais assistant professor of history at Syracuse University.--, Provided by publisher