Enterprising strangers: Social capital and social liability among African migrant traders

Abstract

In this paper I seek to analyze the advantages foreign entrepreneurs may possess in this context by considering the types of social relations in which these merchants are embedded. Two closely related concepts will be critical to my analysis: social networks and social capital. Through this exploration of immigrant traders in an African city, I identify weaknesses in the conceptualization of social capital and call for a re-thinking of the linkages between migration, social networks, and social relations.