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The Waswahili: The social history of an ethnic group1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2012

W. Arens
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Extract

Definitional questions, such as ‘Who are the Waswahili’, posed by Eastman (1971) in this journal, appear to have been of little interest in the past, as many social anthropologists either ignored the problem or assumed that the answers were self-evident. However, those who have confronted this task have shown that simplicity and self-evidence is rarely a characteristic feature of the inquiry. Even classic ethnographic cases of supposed culturally homogeneous and distinct tribal groups are at present being re-examined in light of the renewed interest in this topic (cf. Helm, 1968). Whether or not the Nuer are the Dinka, or vice versa, it has been minimally established that such questions are legitimate and even fruitful in sharpening our analytical approach to subject populations.

Résumé

LES WASW AHILIS: HISTOIRE SOCIALE D'UN GROUPE ETHNIQUE

Les tentatives qui ont été faites jusqu'à présent pour parvenir à une définition des Waswahilis d'Afrique Orientale n'ont guère été satisfaisantes; ceci a été dû au souci trop exclusif de dégager des traits culturels qui ne représentent qu'une partie des composantes ethniques. De plus, l'absence d'une perspective diachronique en la matière a aussi été l'une des faiblesses des considérations précédentes portant sur ce sujet. Il en résulte que les définitions actuelles sont ou bien trop étroites en égard aux données, ou bien trop larges et trop vagues pour avoir quelque valeur. Par contre la présente étude, poursuivant celles de Barth et de Weber, se concentre sur les facteurs d'organisation qui entrent en jeu dans la conceptualisation de l'identité ethnique swahilie, et montre que pour des raisons variées, la diversité culturelle a toujours été un des traits caractéristiques de cette catégorie ethnique. Ce terme, ainsi qu'il est suggéré, a été originellement associé au statut social d'étranger dans une zone particulière, et pour une raison de cet ordre, a été appliqué à des individus et à des groupes ayant des formations culturelles différentes.

L'analyse historique montre que pendant la période coloniale, la désignation ethnique de swahili renfermait une valeur sociale négative, peut être en raison des implicatons du terme qui en faisaient une forme de ‘désintégration tribale’. L'usage de ce terme fut donc évité par la population africaine qui fit son choix en faveur d'une identité tribale, ou d'une identité arabe lorsque cela était possible. Cependant, au cours des dix années qui ont suivi l'indépendance de la Tanzanie, le terme a fait sa réapparition car on encourage à présent le développement des caractéristiques qui sont traditionnellement associées au mode de vie swahili: en effet, elles s'allient aux perspectives sociales et politiques qui dépassent le simple cadre local et que favorise le gouvernement national.

La conclusion de cette étude est que ce genre d'examen diachronique et sociologique des composantes ethniques a trop souvent été laissé de côté au profit d'un modèle tribal plus simpliste représentant un concept qui non seulement a des connotations péjoratives mais dont la valeur explicative dans l'Afrique contemporaine reste bien contestable.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 45 , Issue 4 , October 1975 , pp. 426 - 438
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1975

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