Young People’s Daily Mobilities in Sub-Saharan Africa

Gina Porter is Professor of Anthropology at Durham University, UK.  Co-authors are Kate Hampshire, Reader in Anthropology, Durham University, UK; Albert Abane, Professor of Geography, University of Cape Coast, Ghana; Alister Munthali, Director of the Centre for Social Research, University of Malawi; Elsbeth Robson, Senior Lecturer in Geography, University of Hull, UK; Mac Mashiri,  Gwarajena TRD, Pretoria, South Africa.

• 1. Introduction: children, young people and the ‘mobilities turn’ in sub-Saharan Africa .- 2. Identifying research gaps and building a field research methodology with young people .- 3. Experiencing the journey to school: rural and urban narratives .- 4. Balancing the load: mobility, work and income generation .- 5. Beyond the school and working day: building connections through play, leisure, worship and other social contact .- 6. Mobility and health: young people’s health-seeking behaviour and physical access to health services .- 7. Negotiating transport, travel and traffic, part 1: walking and cycling .- 8. Negotiating transport, travel and traffic, part 2: motor-mobility, traffic risk and road safety .- 9. Conclusion: Reflecting on theory and method, practice and policy.

“The main strength of this book is its ability to apply anthropological knowledge beyond its disciplinary boundaries to discuss it in more applied ways that will be useful for development practitioners. This is not an easy task and one that anthropologists often shy away from. Hence, this book makes for a fascinating read by stretching our understanding of how such social experiences can be understood through a policy and programmatic lens.” (Shannon Philip, Progress in Development Studies, Vol. 18 (03), 2018)​