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3/29/1981 - In Search of a Middle Class by Bowden S. Quinn

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT WRITER S CONSENT INSTITUTE OF CURRNT WORLD AFFAIRS BS Touris Mall UeSe nbassy BP Abidan IVo Coas In Search Middle Class Mr Peter Bird Martin Institute Current World Afairs Wheelock House West Wheelock Street Hanover New Hampshire Dear Peter I huntin weekend seems species classlcus medius Africanus middle class African Africa extremos evident In principalawhich appears Fich subspecleS veleh andheve African ciles howewer spaed breed theCassicus medlusAricusbis erodhow hlsbddlo class evolved I Since interbreeding between richdthe impossible themlddle classAfFicanstbeamutationoone hough seems share characteris especimen I exined closely dresseF learned becoming prentice after leaving school He origited In Benln about miles In He Is Frled Ivo iretie specles going school dFesser apartment In AbldJ which utilities He about month beauty salon He spends Fee watching black whlte tolevlsion bough In He especially likes watcho ooball He doesn toaaor motorcy cotes He hopes someday bututers distlnc Iveco middle class speciege acomplaintaboutno beiable osaeymonoyo Is speciesappes falrlyneous InAbidJand obseedinotherAriccitieso IwonderedwhethoFi Fal cousin smilar distlnIsblee altso Teachers eaenus speciesfod InsllosdillaKes buttheyaeusuallyanslentdshowsis ofbeidlsplacod membeFs thebs I closely assocla theoKion cupyo TheIoCoastseemtob eaoodlocaleinwhich seaFch since heWoFldBhasodindicationsopledis persion cooties wealth H thealAIcddle class Is duous Bowdon Oersoas Journalism Fellow Insti studyinK colonial influences West African ntlongo His crentinterestsse heeoonomles ofGhanadtheIwoCoale trackfng leopardl rhinocerote dangerous Journe began front Peugeot0 station wagon serves transit between cities African count visited eattitudes drivers passeMer these vehicles toward policed soldiers control points along reveals about counts political state In Ivor Coast travelers iformo For passage Abidjan drwerde companionn front fasten safet strap efront passengers obseed precaution entering roturno Apparently meninifomattheoutskirts ofoaresticklersabout Inoh I police respect A barriers Sierra Leone drivers almos auomatlcally The vehicle occupies compliance paent police hours carin inspec Since paens drivers II Ie respec Vehicles often unsafe dillon overloaded resulin fequent accidents rendous death tolls people crushed sraed Sierra Leone rlctness Ivo Coast police aoids raffle holocaustsddiminishes scciden maintenance Little proee passen drivers throuhou West Africa indifference their Repm safety I wished roads Ivo Coas weren A holes asphal corrua unpaved erite would driver We whleh Is especially risky because ofhea We passed acciden otcks ollided overruled Wecedoffoneof cksdce oahal We doubly forename coIssion finished journey ended Daloa Ivo Coast third largest iablts It cental count cocoa A about eight stoles towers Most buildlns concrete balows corated stained yellow clouds laterie raised passinR ehicle unpawed roads My housesha housesished ceaturecomf aOlonyotheddleclass Some Is different about place Daloa quletest indeed dullest Arlc I visited estreets I walked practlcall7 empty whereas African outdoors people enough money doanythlnmoe thanwalk talkdenjoy Do loans spend night driving Appa rentlynotor I sawewbarsdthe I entered cPowded I three nightclubs In I almost empty consecutiwe nights I seemed Daloans watchi TV BSQ During looked different other West African towns Itve It workmanlike grime raher litter garbage filth poverty Tractor trailers roared through streets bulldozers other heavy construction equlpmen pawed pieces earth yards hummed sound small motors The sldewalks werent clutteredwithstreetvendors stalls allsellingthe cheap goods West African cities Perhaps Daloans scrounge 1lying inferior products The places daily needs Pac Chaine Avion shops These grocery store chains offer basically goods prices Pac public company government Chalne Avion private French trading They outlets country S elling canned dairy products household items cosmetics hardware goods belrerages including liquors In Daloa chains store every alternate block reminding Eleven Cumberland Farm stores Connecticut Hery middle class Such signs existence different I seeing West Africa exactly I looking extend villages around Daloa I surprised villages looked Most houses wattle thatched roofs weakest earthen I expected metal roofs In The Gam almost every village least houses covering communities homes poorest people thatched Although buildings longer leaves grass In Ivory Coast cooler rainier The Oambia would sense homes villages I visited I hoped indict enough money coming villges spent addition house ornamentation little finery someone dress motorbikes I talked briefly cocoa village They complaints about their liveli hoods getting along dressed simply other villagers I chance visit their homes I houses different usual structures villagers I proceeded beyond three steps materialism Third World acquisition watch transistor radio bicycle I talked missionary Ivory Coast twelve years Daloa He thinks government little improve village None villages around Daloa dispensary other medical facility The missionary believes Ivory Coast dlsplays gross disparity levels wealth He government encouraged wealthy citizens contribute development their areas Even village schools successful native usually Abidjan I accompanied villages The looked frlghtfully Many isrer One large cement brick house being built middle village The owner mason benefited leftover BSq materials skills trade The villagers especially children dressed They seemed healthy Malnutrition problem because forest provides alanced round We visited middle He stubbed before wound apparently become infected feverish A petty point contributed impression village asant In another village miles I different impression The homes looked bigger people better dressed Sew villagers including children bought religious pamphlets mlssionar3r cents whereas first village pamphlet I asked Ivorian preacher group reason difference He young people first cities elders remained preferred stick In second young people returned bringing modern which people accepted The groups harmony relative benefits The Ivorian echoed missionary rural development depending private citizens He lages electricity inhabitant tension power lines This personal approach develop reaches zenith Yamoussoukro Still referred President Felix Houphouet Boigny villager seventh largest O00 people Growing percent annual years timer fastest growth country Yamoussoukro moved notch already The townts popularity private endowment presi It modern stores handsome public buildingsrows modern houses ablaze lights night The housing electricity extended nearby lages All development attributed largesse Houphouet Boiny His wealth generosity great occasion loans government Is individ development project Ivory Coast shares wealth Is Yamoussoukro stamping ground Ivorian middle class villager To answers these questions I interview World Bank official spent several years country I advice expert hunting species Regards Bowden quinn Received Hanover