Decision-making arenas and territory-based participation in the customary land tenure regimes of Benin
Two major sociocultural value systems surrounding how power is traditionally exercised in Benin reflect different approaches to participation depending on whether decisions are arrived at within a vertically structured hierarchical social system or in a horizontally structured acephalous system. Within these social structures, and depending on the different cultural frames of reference, participatory processes can range from the simplest and most democratic to the most highly complex of systems, open only to particular target groups. Among the different communities involved, we identify the Daŋnou of Sètrah, the Hon-Togbassa, the Tokplékplé and the Togbésso of Abomey, the Atunşe of Kétou and the Aruzuma of Nikki. The underlying goal of each of these groups is to improve the efficiency of governance by involving their citizens in decision-making processes and by building public support for community action. In the type of community-managed societies encountered in Benin, citizen participation defines the pace of community life and, while decisions made are generally widely accepted, institutional mechanisms do also exist to ensure that the needs of all members of the community are reflected in decisions impacting the entire group.