ABSTRACT
This ethnographic research approaches resilience from the evolutionary perspective and applies the concept to Tanzania, where tourism has brought significant changes to Maasai communities’ customary nomadic lifestyle, particularly by evicting them from traditional grazing lands. However, increasing numbers of Maasai are now migrating to Zanzibar to work in tourism. This research scrutinizes the social transformation that enables these uneducated (in conventional terms) nomads to become involved in tourism. Although many Maasai are doing well in terms of the key attributes of resilience, increased engagement with tourism has not made any difference to their well-being.
