ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to link the research to other studies on Africa and to theoretical debates about action and agency. The contributions have, among other things, pointed to the importance of everyday negotiation and struggle by individuals and groups in order to gain some measure of control over their lives. The chapter focuses on action at the local level, on agency, strategies and negotiations. On the local level, there are, of course, multiple reasons for instability. As sociologist Neil Smelser has pointed out, there are two rather different ways of creating an understanding of other people's actions. The chapter also focuses on two major types of strategies, diversification and negotiation, as seen in the African context of an environment of uncertainty. It discusses the corporeality and sociality of these strategies with a specific focus on how 'culture in action' should be understood. The chapter also discusses the impact of different strategies of action upon African social environments and individual lives.
