Social utility of the elderly and settlement of land conflicts among the Agni-Djuablin (Ivory Coast)

Abstract

In Agni society in Cote d Ivoire in general, we are increasingly witnessing the dynamics of intergenerational relationships which are often illustrated by the process of depreciation of the elderly. However, among the Agni of the Djuablin region, we note the social usefulness of the elderly through their participation in the settlement of conflicts over land management. This research therefore aims to analyze the social participation of the elderly in the settlement of land disputes in this region. In a qualitative approach, the sampling by reasoned choice made it possible to retain five (5) villages where land conflicts are rife on a recurring basis. Over a discontinuous period of three months, from March 11 to June 15, 2020, semi-structured individual and group interviews were conducted with 30 actors, including 10 aged 60 or over (village chiefs and notables) and 20 other actors: Collective and institutional. From the thematic analysis of the speeches, it emerges that the Agni have various representations of the earth: An inalienable good, soul, life, wealth and the reproduction of social identity. Also, the absence of laws following the independence of Cote d Ivoire, the new legal provisions for the appropriation of land, the juxtaposition of customary and modern systems of succession, the modification of the social environment, resulting from urbanization have been cited as the origins of conflicts. These break down into intra-group or intra-family conflicts within the same group or family. The resolution of these conflicts requires the participation of the elderly, with regard to the social prestige linked to their status as patriarchs and their relationship to the divinity who legitimizes their power. \n \n \xa0 \n \n Key words: Social participation, elderly, land conflicts, Cote d Ivoire.