Analyzing rural livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa through the concept of life satisfaction: The case of Tanzania

Abstract

This paper analyzes local and global factors determining rural people’s life satisfaction in Tanzania. The concept of life satisfaction is used to overcome the shortcomings of existing livelihood studies approaches such as a focus on local conditions at the expenses of (perception of) global factors, and conceptions of ‘good livelihoods’ superseding local people’s own view of what is desirable. Using a cross-sectional survey (n=1,436) conducted in Tanzania, the life satisfaction variable is regressed on local and global factors and how these are perceived to affect local lives. The results provide opportunities for further debate on contemporary rural livelihoods in Africa.