Paper short abstract:

This paper will investigate the factors of inequalities between the youth in rural Africa and their capacities to move between rural and urban areas in order to benefit from the globalisation, and then to survive or to start accumulating.

Paper long abstract:

During the last two decades, the persistence of the poverty and the dramatic increase of inequalities question the social durability of the development, especially the one of African rural societies. Many factors have reinforced their marginalization: globalization, multi-polarization of the world, urbanization, increase pressure on local resources, liberalization of agricultural chains, "desagrarianization", and their consequences on rural livelihoods. Furthermore, forms of disconnection and disintegration of social solidarities have increased the inequalities between social groups and between individuals.

To-day, youth are the majority group. Facing dramatically the various blockages of rural societies, they are subjected to huge competition between themselves too. Mobility between rural space of origin and various business centers, towns or cities, on short or long distance, in order to benefit from the globalization mainly through petty business, is the only way to survive or to start accumulating. Access to mobility is quite unequal as is the capacity of families and individuals to develop socio-economical activities in various places at the same time and to activate a field of movements which allows them getting various resources.

According to the fact that the one who has the capacity to move is the same who has been endowed with multiple resources: social capital (connection to networks, good social position,…), human (education, qualification, family environment), financial, material (land, …) etc., this paper will investigate the factors of inequalities between the youth and their capacities to move between rural and urban areas and will analyze the consequences on the rural-urban dichotomy.