Moral Economies in African Muslim Societies

The project proposes to study and bring attention to contemporary moral economies in African Muslim societies that are overlooked. These include charitable programmes in Durban, South Africa, public endowments in Zanzibar, hat-making in Mombasa, olive farming in Msaken, Tunisia and a women’s trading networks in Acccra, Ghana.  The project argues that these practices constitute moral economies inspired or informed by values and practices that have been deliberated in the intellectual history of Islam in engagement with current practices and models of economics. The moral economies will be placed in the political and economic context of each site, including colonial and post-colonial developments. Moreover, they will be brought alive in the life trajectories of traders, craftsmen and women, philanthropists, aid workers, and those who have endowed their wealth, big or small, for public projects. The study contributes to the field of moral economies by showing how cultural or religious values of long durée shape economic practices for survival and flourishing.