caa a22 4500 388036605 CHVBK 20180307125006.0 cr unu---uuuuu 161130e199807 xx s 000 0 eng 10.2307/1161251 doi S0001972000044065 pii (NATIONALLICENCE)cambridge-10.2307/1161251 Introduction: the urban-rural connection: changing issues of belonging and identification [Elektronische Daten] Since the 1960s researchers have emphasised the continuing importance of rural-urban connections as a special aspect of urbanisation in Africa. It is clear that since then, in many parts of Africa, the involvement of urbanites with their ‘home' village has increased rather than decreased. Four of the articles in this issue were originally papers presented at two ASA panels (Toronto, 1994) which set out to explore these rural-urban connections. The content of the exchanges and the moral involvement of city people and villagers in such relations vary greatly. The variations have important implications for regional differences in, for instance, the development of new modes of accumulation or the cementing of ethnic networks. The other article (by Dickson Eyoh) addresses the effects of recent political changes in this context—a theme also raised by the other articles. In many parts of Africa democratisation seems to evoke an obsession with ‘autochthony', origin and belonging. The increasing role of elite associations, as an alternative to multi-party politics, makes the rural connection of vital importance to urban politicians. Hence ‘the village', and more generally the region of origin, acquire new importance as a power base in national politics. Copyright © International African Institute 1998 Geschiere Peter Gugler Josef Africa Cambridge University Press 68/3(1998-07), 309-319 0001-9720 68:3<309 1998 68 AFR https://doi.org/10.2307/1161251 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 other jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.2307/1161251 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Geschiere Peter NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Gugler Josef NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Africa Cambridge University Press 68/3(1998-07), 309-319 0001-9720 68:3<309 1998 68 AFR CC0 http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0 nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-cambridge