The End of Chidyerano - (Social History of Africa) by Elias Mandala (Hardcover)

About the Book

In this groundbreaking work, Mandala argues that there is more to food studies than the analysis of famine--that hunger exists only as an integral part of abundance. Basing his case on the history of southern Malawi, he identifies several factors that explain why, although notorious for its annual food deficits, the region is not a land of frequent famine. By proving that seasonal hunger does not lead to famine in the absence of political crisis, and showing in detail how rare events get their meaning from the everyday, Mandela underscores the need to understand the daily and seasonal routines of food cultivation and eating in their own right.

Book Synopsis

In this groundbreaking work, Mandala argues that there is more to food studies than the analysis of famine--that hunger exists only as an integral part of abundance. Basing his case on the history of southern Malawi, he identifies several factors that explain why, although notorious for its annual food deficits, the region is not a land of frequent famine. By proving that seasonal hunger does not lead to famine in the absence of political crisis, and showing in detail how rare events get their meaning from the everyday, Mandela underscores the need to understand the daily and seasonal routines of food cultivation and eating in their own right.

About the Author

Elias C. Mandala was born in Malawi and received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Malawi. In 1977, he came to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar, and did further graduate work at the Universities of Minnesota and Wisconsin (Madison). After obtaining his PhD from Minnesota, he started teaching at the University of Rochester, where he is now professor in the Department of History. He has authored many articles on the agrarian history of Southern Malawi. His Work and Control in a Peasant Economy: A History of the Lower Tchiri Valley in Malawi, 1859-1960 (University of Wisconsin Press) was a finalist for the 1990 Herskovits award.