Neo-Liberalism, Agricultural Transformation and the Welfare of the Elderly in Tanzania: The Casse Study of Bukoba District

Abstract

All social policies can be defined in terms of the mode of exchange they promote. Some policies promote gift-giving as a modeof exchange, while others promote commoditisation as a mode of exchange.  The former are referred to as collectivistic policies while  the latter are individualistic policies.  Specifically, the latter policies are associated with revalry and excludability, while the former policies are associated with non-rivalry and non-excludability.  Against this scheme this study investigated how Tanzania'ssocial policies adversely affect the social protection for the elerly in rural areas.  To this end, the theoretical framework of African MoralEconomy is used with a view to shedding light on the plight of the old people as far as thier social protection is concerned.  Specificaly, it is argued that commoditisation of everything which goes parallel with the individualisation of family relations while many tradional to the elderly in Bukoba rural.  it isrecommene dthat such challenges should be effectively addressed at policy level by embarking on heavy investment in agriculture an dthe transformation of rural social welfare systems with special focus on social protection for the elderly.