Urban Dreams

Claudia Roth's work on Bobo-Dioulasso, a city of half a million residents in Burkina Faso, provides uniquely detailed insight into the evolving life-world of a West African urban population in one of the poorest countries in the world. Closely documenting the livelihood strategies of members of various neighbourhoods, Roth’s work calls into question established notions of “the African family” as a solidary network, documents changing marriage and kinship relations under the impact of a persistent economic crisis, and explores the increasingly precarious social status of young women and men.

Claudia Roth (1955–2012) taught and conducted anthropological research at the Universities of Zurich, Bern, and Lucerne. She served on the board of the Swiss Society for African Studies (SGAS/SSEA) and was a member of the International Mande Studies Association (MANSA). Urban Dreams is the first collection of her work to appear in English.

Willemijn de Jong is Professor at the Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies, University of Zurich.

Manfred Perlik is Professor the Universities of Bern (Centre for Development and Environment) and Grenoble-Alpes (UMR Pacte).

Noemi Steuer (1957-2020) was a researcher at the Center for African Studies, University of Basel.

Heinzpeter Znoj is Professor at the Institute for Social Anthropology, University of Bern.