Abstract
The group of Agro-pastoralists known as the Gogo is the primary ethnic group of the Dodoma region in Central Tanzania. This region, situated on the border has an average rainfall of 600 mm, is semi-arid and suffers from frequent famines. Therefore, the Gogo develop their own improvised lifestyle for survival, based on subsistent agriculture and livestock upkeep, and on “moral economical” relationships that function as a social safety net. As urbanization advances, they must rely on increasingly on money, yet this phenomenon does not immediately suggest a capital economy. The moral economy’s logic is still quite apparent in their lifestyle. The Gogo appear at times to deny “development”, but do actually prefer to invest in an effort to build relationships, rather than to accumulate monetary assets. Our “development logic” consists of an increase in wealth, based on the cycle of accumulation and investment of capital. The differences between these approaches may shed light on our “rationality” and cause us to rethink the value of “development”.
