During the last century, various attempts, promoted by outsiders, to 'rationalise' the use of local resources have taken place in the Chadian oasis of Faya-Largeau. All have failed. Starting from the material remains they left behind, this paper argues that these attempts all implicitly assumed the universality of notions of work, investment and property that have however made little headway in the oasis. Their failure reveals the particular way in which time and objects are construed in Faya, underpinned, it seems, by a strong local desire for autonomy.
Journal article
2015
2015/3 (215-216)
279-305