POSTNOMADIC LIFESTYLE

The postnomadic lifestyle emerged out of the pastoral Sahara nomadism of the eg. Imuhar (Tuareg) nomads. The former nomads became eg. truck drivers, agricultural workers or tourist guides. They often act transnationally, but at the same time they remain loyal to the nomadic ideals and the traditional nomadic moral concept becomes a source of individual and collective identity (Büssow 2011:164).

New forms of “nomadic” self-representation of the urban population are based on an ideal of a rural nomadic lifestyle, in order to oppose the moral and economic misconduct of the urban lifestyle (Prager 2012:3f.).

   ISHUMAR / TISHUMART

Teenagers and young singles are called Ishumar (pl. male/sg. Ashamur/German: Ischumar) or Tishumar (pl. female/sg. Tashamurt/German: Tischumart) in urban as well as in rural areas. The term originates from the French term chômeur for unemployee.

The traditional term is Aschara (sg.male.) and Tascharat (sg. female).  All the terms have certain negative connotations. Hence, it is possible to translate the term with “rowdy”.

Nowadays young Ishumar men and Tishumar women try to make their own way. Their new established identity is based on their nomadic origin in combination with nostalgia. The presumed nomadic values and virtues became a code of honor. In the postmodern lifestyle, mobility, flexibility, solidarity and improvisation skills turn into connecting attributes. The relations between rural and urban kin are still well maintained.

   Ishumar on the cover  of "Tuareg Society within a Globalized World"

SYMBOLS

A typical symbol of male group membership is the chech (turban). Ishumar put on colorful turbans or at least drape the cloth nonchalantly around the neck as a scarf. The songs of the youths, accompanied classically on the Imzad (violin) or tende (drum), are now accompanied on an electric guitar. The young people sing rock-like about the alleged freedom of the nomadic lifestyle. By no, the so-called Sahara blues is even marketed worldwide. DETAILS

OCCUPATION

Young urban Ishumar and Tischumar travel between countries and busy themselves as travelling vendors. Ishumar trade sought-after consumer goods like high-tech products from Nigeria or automobiles from Benin, whereas Tishumar deal with eg. cloth, jewelry and perfume. They travel long distances as migrant workers in order to become truck drivers, agricultural workers or guards eg. along the Mediterranean coast.

POSTNOMADIC MOVEMENT PATTERNS

Bourgeot (1986:158) labels the migration of the former nomads as "roaming around". Kohl (2009:14) describes their movement patterns as an anarchic mobility form, which does not correspond to classic movement patterns of the nomads. Klute (2013:242ff.) clarified that the new migration of the urban society follows traditional nomadic movement patterns. Especially labour migration to Libya and Algeria often corresponds to regular seasonal patterns by eg. following the winter tourism or the harvest reason. 

Link MODERN NOMADS