Household economics and 'Sozietat'. Collaborative strategies and economic organisation levels of rural households in Botswana

Household economics and 'Sozietat'. Collaborative strategies and economic organisation levels of rural households in Botswana. This article explains that a commonly supported livelihood strategy is not self-evident in rural households of Botswana. On the basis of a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods the term 'Sozietat' is developed. The term describes the level of economic organisation and whether there is a collaborative strategy within a household. Individuals participate to different degrees and sometimes even distance themselves from the household they live in. It is assumed that resources flow alongside of responsibility lines which are more or less imperative through cultural norms. In the wake of social change such norms might not be met any more. In this respect especially the role of agricultural production was found to change in the rural villages assessed.