Population change and productive activity among the serer of Senegal: some hypotheses

Abstract

Like many, perhaps most, peoples of tropical Africa, the Serer of western central Senegal have experienced relatively profound changes in their economic activities and structures as their contacts with economically advanced countries have grown more intense, especially during the current century. from the outset it is presumed here that the relationships between population growth and changes in economic and social institutions and activities are in general complex and varied not only taking many different forms but also involving interaction among many variables and that, as such, these relationships are likely to be difficult to identify and measure. It is in this perspective that this paper attempts to probe certain aspects of those relationships in the case of the Serer and to offer some provisional hypotheses or interpretations as to what has occurred and why. This paper is specifically and primarily concerned with the analysis and interpretation of the experience of the Serer, it is also concerned with the identification and analysis of demographic economic interrelationships in general.