Africa's informal institutions, as suggested in Chapter Four, may be distinguished by the extent to which they are symmetrical and inclusive. Within these parameters, however, the most striking thing about these institutions is their malleability. They are constantly being reoriented and reshaped in response to emerging constraints and opportunities in society. That is why they are also tenable. They constantly recur to meet new challenges. Most Africans are used to this way of life. Constant social maneuvering, if not fun, is at least what they are ready to excel in. This is a reality that is very different from what people know in countries where formal institutions dominate. In Europe as well as in North America, certainty and predictability are among the most highly held values. Where the state is consolidated, it becomes an economic planning and steering instrument aimed at minimizing threats to the system. The public is being socialized into believing that society can manage itself through formal institutions without harm to individuals and groups. Therefore, when something goes unexpectedly wrong, it is common practice that the official ultimately responsible steps down. Where the state is still being formed, as in Africa, the challenges are different. Uncertainty is not only greater, but also curbed differently – notably, by seeking out the support of other individuals. Whereas Europeans and North Americans can rely on the welfare state or some private corporate arrangement to take care of their basic needs, it is the Kernkultur of primary reciprocities of the economy of affection that are being called upon in Africa.