Inequality in pastoral society and response to drought: the Twareg and the Wodaabe of Niger

This paper concerns two pastoral nomadic societies in the Republic of Niger: the Wodaabe, a group of pastoral Fulani, and the Twareg. The problem of central interest here is inequality, more particularly the unequal distribution of wealth, and consequently of power and status, between individuals in society. Twareg society contrasts with Wodaabe society in that the former presents a great deal of inequality in comparison with the latter. The paper is organised in the following way: after a brief introduction to the Twareg and Wodaabe, there is an analysis of inequality in both societies, with particular reference to the distribution of wealth in livestock. The final section explores Twareg and Wodaabe reactions to drought in the light of these findings. Bibliogr., diagr., map, notes, tab., sum. in French.