Becoming a Blacksmith in Gbarngasuakwelle

In analyzing the processes involved in becoming a blacksmith in a Kpelle town in West Africa, the paper highlights the failure of simple typologies to account for the contrast between formal schooling and out‐of‐school or informal learning. The blacksmith is shown to carry three subroles: skilled worker, big‐man, and medicine man. Each involves different skills and each requires different training processes. These processes are described and attention is paid to their forma/and informal characteristics.