Modernisation at Work: Senegal, Tostan and the Fulɓe

Chapter 3 investigates how local, national, and international events intertwine in influencing people’s life, so that it makes little sense to look at development as if it were happening in a vacuum. In particular, it briefly looks at the wider social, political and cultural context of the community where the intervention took place. The chapter looks at the emergence of the human rights discourse in Senegal, examines relevant features of Senegalese culture, explains the structure of NGO Tostan and its educational programme in Senegal, and describes the ethnic group that was studied in the research (the Fulbe), with its moral values and code of conduct.