The Pastoral Mode of Consumption in a Market Economy : The Samburu Household in North Central Kenya

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  • 市場経済化と牧畜的消費様式 : ケニア中北部・サンブルの世帯経済の事例
  • シジョウ ケイザイカ ト ボクチクテキ ショウヒ ヨウシキ ケニア チュウホクブ サンブル ノ セタイ ケイザイ ノ ジレイ

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Abstract

<p>This ethnographic study elucidates several characteristics of the pastoral mode of consumption that has developed through a combination of the subsistence economy and market economy. I examine the household strategy of the Samburu, who live in north central Kenya, examining their household income and expenses, giving special attention to their cultural background. The Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists who occupy the Samburu District which lies in a semi-desert region in north central Kenya. Most of the Samburu raise cattle, sheep, and goats, and live mainly on milk. In 1991, the first periodic livestock market in the Samburu District was established in Suguta Marmar town, after which people began selling their livestock to buyers from urban areas. They now eat not only livestock produce but also agricultural produce bought with cash. I analyzed one year's worth of income and expense data from two sample Samburu households that live near the livestock market, covering the period from October 1995 to September 1996. Both households make a living mainly by raising livestock. Sample household A is led by a wealthy livestock trader, while sample household B is led by a poor retailer of sugar. The result of my analysis is summarized below. (1) Household A spends 83% of its income that it gets from the sale of livestock on the purchase of more livestock. Meanwhile, household B spends 73% of its income on the purchase of livestock. Both households thus spend a considerable amount of their income on the purchase of livestock. That indicates that both households regard livestock as an important subject of consumption. They follow the housekeeping strategy of spending money on preserving livestock. (2) Wealthy household A constantly spends regular amounts of money on maize flour at the market, reflecting its cultural concern for eating. By contrast, poor household B only sporadically buys maize flour; its purchase of maize flour is affected by rainfall, which determines their extent of self-sufficiency. If enough rain falls, poor households can exclusively depend on the milk that their cattle produce. However, during droughts, when milk is in short supply, poor households are compelled to depend on the market to acquire maize flour, with a view to surviving the drought. (3) The Engel coefficient of wealthy household A is 73, while that of poor household B is only 39. My analysis shows opposite results to what can be expected from Engel's law. That means that Engel's law is not necessarily applicable to Samburu households, in which people revert to their dependency on the subsistence economy as the occasion demands. (4) The housekeeping strategy of wealthy household A shows an expansive tendency, contrasting with the strategy of poor household B, which shows a sustaining tendency. The difference in strategies is reflected in the two households' different styles of bank account usage and commercial activity. Wealthy household A seldom uses its bank account, because it invests most of its savings in the livestock trade. By contrast, poor household B regards its bank account and the retail of sugar as important provisions against unforeseen situations. (5) The housekeeping strategy of the Samburu is based on a thrifty tendency. They highly esteem a steady person who holds down unnecessary expenditures and invests in livestock constantly, regarding him as a sound livestock keeper. Conversely, as rumors have it, Samburu feel scorn for the generous spendthrift who readily sells his livestock for alcohol. Following Woodburn's terminology, the system of the Samburu household economy can be expressed as an "eternally delayed return system." In an agricultural society, the fruits of one's labor can be earned at one sweep during the harvest season. However, in a pastoral society, the fruits of one's labor are not clearly delimited, because the herd</p><p>(View PDF for the rest of the abstract.)</p>

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