THREE STORIES ABOUT LIVING WITHOUT MIGRATION IN DAKAR: COMING TO TERMS WITH THE CONTRADICTIONS OF THE MORAL ECONOMY

This article focuses on life without migration in Dakar. In a context of scarcity of opportunities and the emergence of emigrants as new models of success, many who remain are seen as unsuccessful and are under a personal or social expectation to emigrate. This paper examines the unfolding of everyday life without migration. Through ethnographic description, it points to the coexistence in the capital city of changes and continuities in the moral economy, the scarcity of income-generating opportunities for men, and women's growing financial contribution. This article suggests that, for those of an age to support their families, these transformations often mean living with contradictions. To overcome these tensions, inventive strategies of demonstration' and concealment' are deployed to fit in with the moral economy. However, living without migration in Dakar is often easier when an alternative moral economy is adhered to. RESUME Cet article traite de la vie a Dakar sans la migration. Dans un contexte de penurie d'emplois et simultanement d'emergence des emigres comme nouvelle figure de la reussite, ceux qui restent a Dakar sont souvent vus comme ne reussissant pas et se trouvent alors sous pression d'emigrer. Cet article examine le deroulement de la vie quotidienne menee, involontairement ou volontairement, sans la migration. A travers la description ethnographique, il met en evidence la coexistence, dans la capitale senegalaise, de changements et permanences de l'economie morale, du manque d'opportunites de travail pour les hommes, ainsi que de la contribution financiere croissante des femmes. L'article suggere que, pour ceux en age de soutenir leurs familles, ces transformations impliquent souvent de vivre avec des contradictions. Pour s'adapter a l'economie morale et surmonter ces tensions, des strategies ingenieuses de << cacher/montrer >> sont deployees. Toutefois, vivre a Dakar sans la migration semble plus aise lorsque l'on adhere a une economie morale alternative.