The Individuals Take on Political Action – The Role of Perceived Inequality and Mobilization in the Onset of Post-disaster Disorder in Accra

Abstract

ABSTRACT One of the most devastating floods in Accra was succeeded by days of severe riots. Vandalizing citizens of the marginalized and informal community Old Fadama were stopped with tear gas fired by security forces. Previous attempts to explain disorder that are mainly based on the existence of objective inequality fall short to understand these events. Furthermore, theories on social movements in Africa largely fail to explain motivation and mobilization dynamics of spontaneous, small-scale communal disorder. This article studies these dynamics and examines how and why inequality in disaster response can spark communal disorder. Based on new survey data and geo-referenced Afrobarometer information, the paper argues that communal organization and moral obligations are key factors for the onset of political action and outplay the presence of perceived inequality. Disorder in Accra broke out in the neighborhood with a higher degree of communal organization and personal readiness, but fewer feelings of disaster-related inequality.