Practice Theory and Informal Urban Livelihoods in M’Bour, Senegal: A Case Study of Urban Cultivation

Abstract

AbstractThroughout African cities, the majority of citizens make their livelihoods in what is commonly referred to as the “informal” economy. The concept of informality, however, is problematic and obscures more than it clarifies. Drawing on qualitative research carried out in the secondary city of M’Bour Senegal, this chapter offers one way to improve the legibility of such urban economic practices, which has implications for urban development decision-making processes. Through the use of Theodore Schatzki’s practice ontology, which roots livelihood firmly in place by connecting everyday economic practices to the material world, this research explores the “practice-material assemblages” that comprise urban cultivation and how those assemblages constitute and are constituted by the city and civic environment. This conceptual orientation provides insight about how people navigate complex urban processes and how those processes are informed by local social and environmental realities. Insights generated from such research might support efforts to create more sustainable, place-based, inclusive, and equitable urban planning practices.