Youth and the Rural Economy in Africa: Hard Work and Hazard

This book examines how young men and women engage with the rural economy and imagine their futures in Africa, and how development policies and interventions can find traction with these realities. It challenges current research, policy, and development debates and considers social difference as a way of examining the category of youth. It is written by authors from various disciplinary backgrounds and draws from existing literature and new analysis of multi-country and multi-disciplinary studies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 19 April 2021
Publisher: CABI Publishing

This comprehensive book brings together recent findings from quantitative and qualitative research conducted across Africa, shedding light on how young men and women engage with the rural economy and envision their futures. By employing framing, overview, and evidence-based chapters, the book offers a critical perspective on current discourse, research, and development interventions related to youth and rural development. The chapters are organized around foundational claims that often dominate the discourse, such as the notion that large numbers of young people are leaving rural areas, lack interest in agriculture, face land access barriers, can drive rural transformation, are trapped in perpetual youthfulness, and that the rural economy holds abundant opportunities.

Engaging with and challenging these prevailing debates, the book considers social difference as a lens through which to examine the category of youth. Authored by authors from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, the book provides a rich tapestry of varied perspectives. Drawing from existing literature and conducting new analysis of multi-country and multi-disciplinary studies, it specifically focuses on gender and other aspects of social difference. This book is a valuable resource for researchers, policy makers, advocates, and postgraduate students engaged in international development and agricultural economics. Its comprehensive approach and insightful analysis offer valuable insights into the complex dynamics of youth engagement with the rural economy and the potential for development policies and interventions to resonate with these realities.

Weight: 664g
Dimension: 250 x 178 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789245011