Rooted in the fields of political and urban anthropology while embracing an inter-disciplinary approach, this paper looks into the intertwined links between migrants trajectories and land tenure in Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire.
Paper long abstract:
Land tenure is understood here as the constant balance and imbalance existing within the power relations binding all the social actors involved in land access and property processes. The objectives of the research project is two folded:
- Analyze the subtleties inherent to land tenure in cities that are oftentimes off the research map due to their “secondary” characteristics, as opposed to capital cities.
- Shed light on the impact of regional migration trajectories patterns on land tenure in a secondary city, in comparison to what happens in a bigger city (Abidjan)
Using a diversity of land conflicts as an entry point, the paper shows how heterogeneous groups of social actors interact with each other, make claims and continuously shape land tenure to their benefit over time.