La migration temporaire comme clé de l’adaptation au changement ? Etude de cas au Sénégal. Temporary migration as a key for adaptation to change ? A case study in Senegal.

Régine Franzetti, Université de Genève
Guillaume Golay, Université de Genève
Valérie Delaunay, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)
Claudine E. M. Sauvain-Dugerdil, Université de Genève

Temporary migration is a well-known strategy of Sahelian populations to reduce their ecological vulnerability, but also help them to adapt to modernization. This paper presents the results of a qualitative survey in Toucar (Senegal). They show that male mobility is still anchored into family strategies and is not a factor of social disruption. Male migration appears still closely articulated with the agro-pastoral family system. Even the new mobility of school boys during vacation is contingent to their agriculture duties; most of the few who do not migrate stay for field work. Only long term migrants are not expected to help in agriculture but contribute financially to the family needs, especially for schooling costs of younger brothers. Young people are eager to have more autonomy, but social solidarities remain strong. Changes are material, but migrants appear to remain very attached to their village and their values.