Dealing with Uncertainty in Contemporary African Lives

This volume is the second publication based on the conference Uncertainty in Contemporary African Lives. The papers deal with societies in rapid transformation and change, brought about by forces such as modernization and globalization, and the way such processes increase stress and uncertainties in the lives of young men and women. The approach was grounded in the awareness that it is important to see people not merely as victims of inauspicious circumstances, but rather as agents actively responding to their life situation, however adverse. Do people draw upon specific cultural models, techniques or prescriptions, and, thus, rely on a specific course of action when they face grave problems in life? Do they feel alienated and helpless in a risky and uncertain world, or do they take a pragmatic approach to suffering and misfortune? These are some of the issues discussed.