The Tswana

Published in association with the International African Institute, this is a new and expanded version of "The Tswana", first published in 1953. Since then, anthropology and African Studies have changed a good deal, but the bedrock of both remains unchanged - solid, sensitive ethnographic and historical accounts of the peoples and cultures of the continent. Isaac Schapera's documentation of the life and times in the Bechuanaland Protectorate stands as a starkly detailed chronicle of an African population in a rapidly changing world. He was among the few anthropologists who spoke frankly of the predicament of rural Africans under colonialism. Far from describing the Tswana as a closed or timeless "society", he has always located these peoples in their political and economic contexts, and in so doing he has left behind an extraordinary record. This edition of "The Tswana" consists of the original text, to which has been added a second part by John L. Comaroff covering the transformation of Tswana life in Botswana and South Africa 1953-85, plus a much enlarged bibliography. The addition of the new material ensures that "The Tswana" remains a valuable summary and overview of an exceedingly rich ethnographic and historical record, and should continue to serve as an indispensable tool in research and teaching.