| This thesis focuses on the development of a Tanzanian business community and the emergence of capitalism as a social movement within Tanzanian society. It supports the premise that a social movement approach is best suited to analyzing political and economic development in countries that have not yet fully institutionalized market relations. Tanzania, like other African states and former socialist block countries, is undergoing a fundamental transition from a single party system and state controlled economy, to multi-party politics and market economy. While social movements have not usually been associated with business, the business community in Tanzania is involved in a struggle to recreate society, to institute values that support private enterprise, and to create organizations to achieve these goals. The capitalist movement has grown out of a centuries old tradition of commerce in which the interaction of race, ethnicity, and politics has shaped the formation of the business community. The legacy of a one-party socialist state, coupled with an elite divided along ethnic and occupational lines, have fueled misgivings within the business community toward the liberalization process. The African business community, in general, has supported freedom of the press and the multi-party system. However, it has tended to be skeptical of economic liberalization, in particular, the privatization of parastatals and the establishment of free hold land tenure. The minority Asian business community has been less enthusiastic about political reform while supporting economic liberalization. It is hoped that this study of the activities of Tanzanian entrepreneurs in the creation of a liberal polity and market economy will contribute to the comparative literature on business as an agent of social change. |
