Persistent peasant poverty and assets. Exploring dynamics of new forms of wealth and poverty in Tanzania 1999–2018

Abstract

Tracking change in rural communities over time is difficult. It is also important. If we are to understand what forms of peasant poverty persist, or how and in what ways peasant communities can become richer, then we require longitudinal studies. These are however few. It is difficult to access the data required for them. I present one case using assets to track growing prosperity. I examine why exclusions in other data make tracking assets important, and the limitations of longitudinal research for capturing contemporary conditions.