Les classes moyennes changent-elles la donne en afrique?

Abstract

How much have the economic vitality and demographic growth of the first ten years of the 2000s changed Africa's social situation? Some indicators affirm the emergence of a 'middle class'? that symbolizes an escape from extreme poverty and the achievement of some prosperity. Politically, this better-educated, emerging group can push democratic institutions toward change. Some argue that two phenomena - the rising middle class and urbanization - will spark a virtuous circle: more consumers create larger markets, a real estate boom, and an economy underpinned by banking services. Others believe that an increasingly individualistic and consumption-driven middle class may foster acculturation and the loss of certain values, such as solidarity.