Community Villages in Tanzania – Memories after the African Socialism

Abstract

This article is devoted to the history and specific character of Tanzanian socialism and the opinions of the contemporary Tanzanians on the rural Ujamma communities which were to constitute the basis for the future development of their society. The paper was written based on short ethnographic research of the selected group from among Iringa University students and inhabitants of the neighboring villages. The cited accounts from the interviews illustrate ambiguous opinions of the interlocutors on the topic in question. Despite the consensus on the negative economic impact of the very project, the interlocutors defend its social advantages. The main reason of such a standpoint seems to be the dissatisfaction with the current socio-political situation, unemployment, extremely high prices and primarily the increasing social anomie, family dissolution and decay of traditional values.