African literature has been dominated by male African writers. However, there are a number of female African writers who contributed to the literary landscape of the continent significantly. In line with this, researches that deal with issues of gender in African literature are increasing (Fonchingong, 2006; Salami-Boukari, 2012; Stratton, 1994). In this study, I aim to expose patriarchal oppression in two selected post-colonial African novels. I ask “How do postcolonial African female writers expose gender oppression and patriarchy in their novels?” I ask how the female characters in the selected novels resist patriarchal dominance and oppression. I seek to uncover any thematic patterns and/or overlaps that would emerge across the selected novels. To achieve this, I analyze two feminist Anglophone African novels by female writers of the continent, namely „The Slave Girl‟ and „A Question of Power‟. Gynocentrism is used as an approach to achieve this purpose. The analyses of the novels make it feel that patriarchy is used as a tool to stabilize the discrimination of the feminine gender. The heroines in both novels are found to be patriarchal women with some attempt to reverse the gender order. The major female characters in the novels stand against the intersectional discrimination of the feminine from the male personhood, religion, as well as colonial culture. These discussions about patriarchy revive the vitality of African feminist novels to the present readers.
{"title":"Patriarchy in Buchi Emecheta’s The Slave Girl and Bessie Head’s A Question of Power: A Gynocentric Approach","authors":"A. Aboye","doi":"10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I2.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I2.1","url":null,"abstract":"African literature has been dominated by male African writers. However, there are a number of female African writers who contributed to the literary landscape of the continent significantly. In line with this, researches that deal with issues of gender in African literature are increasing (Fonchingong, 2006; Salami-Boukari, 2012; Stratton, 1994). In this study, I aim to expose patriarchal oppression in two selected post-colonial African novels. I ask “How do postcolonial African female writers expose gender oppression and patriarchy in their novels?” I ask how the female characters in the selected novels resist patriarchal dominance and oppression. I seek to uncover any thematic patterns and/or overlaps that would emerge across the selected novels. To achieve this, I analyze two feminist Anglophone African novels by female writers of the continent, namely „The Slave Girl‟ and „A Question of Power‟. Gynocentrism is used as an approach to achieve this purpose. The analyses of the novels make it feel that patriarchy is used as a tool to stabilize the discrimination of the feminine gender. The heroines in both novels are found to be patriarchal women with some attempt to reverse the gender order. The major female characters in the novels stand against the intersectional discrimination of the feminine from the male personhood, religion, as well as colonial culture. These discussions about patriarchy revive the vitality of African feminist novels to the present readers.","PeriodicalId":129334,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian journal of the social sciences and humanities","volume":"25 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117253457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Author: Susan Neiman Title: Learning from The Germans: Confronting Race and the Memory of Evil London, England: Allen Lane, 2019.
标题:向德国人学习:面对种族和邪恶的记忆伦敦，英国:艾伦巷，2019。
{"title":"Book Review: Learning from The Germans: Confronting Race and the Memory of Evil","authors":"Kebadu Mekonnen Gebremariam","doi":"10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I1","url":null,"abstract":"Author: Susan Neiman \u0000Title: Learning from The Germans: Confronting Race and the Memory of Evil \u0000London, England: Allen Lane, 2019.","PeriodicalId":129334,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian journal of the social sciences and humanities","volume":"38 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133121615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Doris Schroeder asserts that the received view according to which human rights are derived from the inherent dignity of the human person must be rejected. She appeals to separate these conjoined twins (human dignity and human rights) by offering three knockdown arguments respectively captioned as “the justification paradox”, “Kantian cul-de-sac” and “hazard by association”. This paper submits a case for preserving the conjoined twins, both by refuting Schroeder’s arguments and at the same time proposing a positive appraisal of human dignity as foundational to human rights. The distributive account of a foundation, on which Schroeder’s arguments are premised, requires that a normative foundation must underpin every single human rights claim. Human rights claims, as diverse as they are, admit plurality of normative foundations (understood in the distributive sense) and human dignity directly underpins only a subset of the most basic human rights. There is another sense in which human dignity can be conceived as foundational to human rights, precisely as the general moral standing of human beings as holders of the bundle of moral human rights. Foundation as moral standing is consistent with the view that not every human rights-claim has its normative foundation in human dignity; thus, Schroeder is mistaken in thinking that failing to be a foundation in the distributive sense defeats the accepted view that human rights derive from human dignity.
{"title":"Human Rights and Human Dignity: A Case Against Separating the Conjoined Twins","authors":"Kebadu Mekonnen Gebremariam","doi":"10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I1.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I1.5","url":null,"abstract":"Doris Schroeder asserts that the received view according to which human rights are derived from the inherent dignity of the human person must be rejected. She appeals to separate these conjoined twins (human dignity and human rights) by offering three knockdown arguments respectively captioned as “the justification paradox”, “Kantian cul-de-sac” and “hazard by association”. This paper submits a case for preserving the conjoined twins, both by refuting Schroeder’s arguments and at the same time proposing a positive appraisal of human dignity as foundational to human rights. The distributive account of a foundation, on which Schroeder’s arguments are premised, requires that a normative foundation must underpin every single human rights claim. Human rights claims, as diverse as they are, admit plurality of normative foundations (understood in the distributive sense) and human dignity directly underpins only a subset of the most basic human rights. There is another sense in which human dignity can be conceived as foundational to human rights, precisely as the general moral standing of human beings as holders of the bundle of moral human rights. Foundation as moral standing is consistent with the view that not every human rights-claim has its normative foundation in human dignity; thus, Schroeder is mistaken in thinking that failing to be a foundation in the distributive sense defeats the accepted view that human rights derive from human dignity.","PeriodicalId":129334,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian journal of the social sciences and humanities","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130228151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The study is about international kinship care arrangements in Ethiopia, focusing on Ethiopian children who applied for an Australian Orphan Relative Visa. A qualitative case study research method was used. Study participants were nine children between the ages of 13-17 years and nine parents/guardians of those children. Other participants were five experts from the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs, and Federal First Instance Court. In-depth interviews were conducted using semi-structured interview guides. Additional data were also derived from observations and document reviews. Thematic data analysis was used. Data from all sources were triangulated and categorized under the themes that emerged from the data. This study identified two categories of children: those who cannot get proper care either due to the loss of parents or due to incapacity of parents to take care of them, and those children who use international kinship arrangement as a mechanism to access a better life in Australia. Children expressed their expectations to get a better education, employment, material benefits, and living conditions after placement abroad. They also expressed concerns about how well relatives abroad will treat them. The findings further revealed that the Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs was not appropriately documenting pre-placement and post-placement information. Since international kinship care is different from international adoption in its nature, there was a lack of clarity on the legal protection that should be given to children, which puts them in a precarious socio-legal situation. This study can be used as a starting point to understand and consider international kinship care arrangements as one important alternative child care option.
{"title":"International Kinship Care Arrangement: Ethiopian Children Applying for Australian Orphan Relative Visa","authors":"Asnakech Tesfaye, A. Hagos","doi":"10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I1.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I1.3","url":null,"abstract":"The study is about international kinship care arrangements in Ethiopia, focusing on Ethiopian children who applied for an Australian Orphan Relative Visa. A qualitative case study research method was used. Study participants were nine children between the ages of 13-17 years and nine parents/guardians of those children. Other participants were five experts from the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs, and Federal First Instance Court. In-depth interviews were conducted using semi-structured interview guides. Additional data were also derived from observations and document reviews. Thematic data analysis was used. Data from all sources were triangulated and categorized under the themes that emerged from the data. This study identified two categories of children: those who cannot get proper care either due to the loss of parents or due to incapacity of parents to take care of them, and those children who use international kinship arrangement as a mechanism to access a better life in Australia. Children expressed their expectations to get a better education, employment, material benefits, and living conditions after placement abroad. They also expressed concerns about how well relatives abroad will treat them. The findings further revealed that the Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs was not appropriately documenting pre-placement and post-placement information. Since international kinship care is different from international adoption in its nature, there was a lack of clarity on the legal protection that should be given to children, which puts them in a precarious socio-legal situation. This study can be used as a starting point to understand and consider international kinship care arrangements as one important alternative child care option.","PeriodicalId":129334,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian journal of the social sciences and humanities","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124930965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article deals with irregular international migration among the youth in south-west Ethiopia, which is one of the major issues that grabbed the attention of the international community in recent years. The article draws on a study which aimed at determining major predictors of irregular migration intention among youth in Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Irregular migration and human trafficking are serious challenges that people face in Ethiopia in general and in Jimma Zone in particular. Concurrent cross-sectional mixed method study design was deployed, and a total of 347 respondents participated in a quantitative survey and 33 and 6 took part in five Focus Group Discussions and in-depth interviews respectively. The study was conducted in three selected woredas/districts of Jimma Zone between March and April 2018. Variables such as age, political unrest, unreliable information from social media, social networks, the desire for life enhancement, and readiness for taking risk are found to be good predictors or reasons of irregular migration. Age has strong negative correlation (r=-0.73) with irregular migration intention. Personal readiness has very strong (r=0.96) and positive correlation with irregular migration intention. In conclusion, youth in particular and community in general in Jimma Zone favor irregular migration to home situation and prefer to try out other life as livelihood strategy.
{"title":"Predictors of Irregular International Migration among Youth in Jimma Zone, South West Ethiopia","authors":"A. Woldemichael, M. Getu","doi":"10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I1.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I1.2","url":null,"abstract":"This article deals with irregular international migration among the youth in south-west Ethiopia, which is one of the major issues that grabbed the attention of the international community in recent years. The article draws on a study which aimed at determining major predictors of irregular migration intention among youth in Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Irregular migration and human trafficking are serious challenges that people face in Ethiopia in general and in Jimma Zone in particular. Concurrent cross-sectional mixed method study design was deployed, and a total of 347 respondents participated in a quantitative survey and 33 and 6 took part in five Focus Group Discussions and in-depth interviews respectively. The study was conducted in three selected woredas/districts of Jimma Zone between March and April 2018. Variables such as age, political unrest, unreliable information from social media, social networks, the desire for life enhancement, and readiness for taking risk are found to be good predictors or reasons of irregular migration. Age has strong negative correlation (r=-0.73) with irregular migration intention. Personal readiness has very strong (r=0.96) and positive correlation with irregular migration intention. In conclusion, youth in particular and community in general in Jimma Zone favor irregular migration to home situation and prefer to try out other life as livelihood strategy.","PeriodicalId":129334,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian journal of the social sciences and humanities","volume":"82 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125382178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
With the objective of understanding the mid-late Holocene subsistence pattern and the local ecology, archaeobotanical investigation was conducted on soil samples collected from 29 contexts from the rock shelter site of Mochena Borago. The samples were collected by the French Archaeological Mission in 2000 and 2001 field seasons. Flotation was carried out using bucket and 2.0 mm mesh size sieve. Recovered botanical remains were classified based on size and grain morphology. Seed analysis was conducted at 5-20x magnification. A total of 112 seeds and fruit stones were identified which include 55 Sapindaceae cf. Deinbollia type (dune soap-berry), 33 Myrtaceae cf. Syzigium guineense type (sometimes called waterberry), 9 Plectranthus edulis (Wolayta dinich/potato), 7 Euphorbiaceae Croton sp. (rushfoil), 2 Cordia cf. africana (wanza in Amharic), 1 Ebenaceae cf. Diospyros (commonly known as ebony trees), 1 Olea europea ssp. africana (Olive Oil). Plectranthus edulis is an indigenous crop for the study area and Cordia cf. africana and Olea europea ssp. africana are reported for the first time in archaeological context of the whole region of Ethiopia. The study provided data on the ancient economy and ecology of the site in a region where archaeobotanical research is limited.
{"title":"Towards the Mid-Late Holocene Environment of Mochena Borago Rock Shelter, Wolayta, South Ethiopia","authors":"Alemseged Beldados, Medhanit Tamirat","doi":"10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I1.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I1.1","url":null,"abstract":"With the objective of understanding the mid-late Holocene subsistence pattern and the local ecology, archaeobotanical investigation was conducted on soil samples collected from 29 contexts from the rock shelter site of Mochena Borago. The samples were collected by the French Archaeological Mission in 2000 and 2001 field seasons. Flotation was carried out using bucket and 2.0 mm mesh size sieve. Recovered botanical remains were classified based on size and grain morphology. Seed analysis was conducted at 5-20x magnification. A total of 112 seeds and fruit stones were identified which include 55 Sapindaceae cf. Deinbollia type (dune soap-berry), 33 Myrtaceae cf. Syzigium guineense type (sometimes called waterberry), 9 Plectranthus edulis (Wolayta dinich/potato), 7 Euphorbiaceae Croton sp. (rushfoil), 2 Cordia cf. africana (wanza in Amharic), 1 Ebenaceae cf. Diospyros (commonly known as ebony trees), 1 Olea europea ssp. africana (Olive Oil). Plectranthus edulis is an indigenous crop for the study area and Cordia cf. africana and Olea europea ssp. africana are reported for the first time in archaeological context of the whole region of Ethiopia. The study provided data on the ancient economy and ecology of the site in a region where archaeobotanical research is limited.","PeriodicalId":129334,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian journal of the social sciences and humanities","volume":"162 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114577396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Studies about khat have shown a remarkable progress in recent times, both in terms of quality and quantity. However, their focus to a large extent is on the chemistry and pharmacology of the plant; and more so on its impact on the consumers’ health. The trading systems, the logic of the khat markets, the networks and the structures that kept the khat industry vibrant skipped the attention of researches. This study deals with the institutional evolution, performance and constraints of those institutions and structures governing khat trade in Ethiopia since the 1980s. A qualitative research method has been employed in this study. Yet, due to the complexity of the subject under study, I have to operate eclectically in my choice of data gathering instruments and analysis. Eclectically, in this context, refers to the application of divergent but complimentary methods of gathering, analysis and interpretation of data. Oral data for this study have been garnered primarily through key informant interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGD).Oral data required for this study have been collected for over four years shuttling to both study sites in the east and southern Ethiopia on various field trips. Relevant secondary literatures dealing with khat have also been consulted. Findings from this research helped to document the evolution of some key features in the way the khat business is being run and the various work processes that consistently animated the trade. Attempts have also been made to shade some light on the institutional evolution of the trading system and the role of the state in khat trade in Ethiopia. I argue in this paper that decentralization and autonomy are the hallmarks of the prominent khat trading systems in Ethiopia.
{"title":"The Economics of Khat Trade and its Dynamic Institutions: The Ethiopian Context since the 1980s","authors":"Girma Negash","doi":"10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I1.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/EJOSSAH.V16I1.4","url":null,"abstract":"Studies about khat have shown a remarkable progress in recent times, both in terms of quality and quantity. However, their focus to a large extent is on the chemistry and pharmacology of the plant; and more so on its impact on the consumers’ health. The trading systems, the logic of the khat markets, the networks and the structures that kept the khat industry vibrant skipped the attention of researches. This study deals with the institutional evolution, performance and constraints of those institutions and structures governing khat trade in Ethiopia since the 1980s. A qualitative research method has been employed in this study. Yet, due to the complexity of the subject under study, I have to operate eclectically in my choice of data gathering instruments and analysis. Eclectically, in this context, refers to the application of divergent but complimentary methods of gathering, analysis and interpretation of data. Oral data for this study have been garnered primarily through key informant interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGD).Oral data required for this study have been collected for over four years shuttling to both study sites in the east and southern Ethiopia on various field trips. Relevant secondary literatures dealing with khat have also been consulted. Findings from this research helped to document the evolution of some key features in the way the khat business is being run and the various work processes that consistently animated the trade. Attempts have also been made to shade some light on the institutional evolution of the trading system and the role of the state in khat trade in Ethiopia. I argue in this paper that decentralization and autonomy are the hallmarks of the prominent khat trading systems in Ethiopia.","PeriodicalId":129334,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian journal of the social sciences and humanities","volume":"91 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116966397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper examines Djibouti’s emerging active regional foreign policy in the post-Gouled era. The study has multi-pronged strategy: First, it outlines the underlying factors for Djibouti’s emerging as an important player of regional-power politics, while at the same time questioning its viability against the backdrop of its domestic political and economic situation; second, it explores the potential implications of Djibouti’s emerging active regional foreign policy for Ethio-Djiboutian relations; finally, it suggests a viable foreign policy Djibouti needs to pursue towards its neighbouring states of the Horn of Africa, a region of security complex. The paper is important for students interested in the history and contemporary African politics in general and the Horn of Africa in particular. It can also serve as additional source of information for policy decision-makers of Ethiopia and Djibouti.
{"title":"Djibouti’s Foreign Policy Change from Survival Strategy to an Important Regional-Power Player: Implications for Ethio-Djibouti Relations","authors":"Tafesse Olika","doi":"10.4314/ejossah.v14i2.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ejossah.v14i2.5","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examines Djibouti’s emerging active regional foreign policy in the post-Gouled era. The study has multi-pronged strategy: First, it outlines the underlying factors for Djibouti’s emerging as an important player of regional-power politics, while at the same time questioning its viability against the backdrop of its domestic political and economic situation; second, it explores the potential implications of Djibouti’s emerging active regional foreign policy for Ethio-Djiboutian relations; finally, it suggests a viable foreign policy Djibouti needs to pursue towards its neighbouring states of the Horn of Africa, a region of security complex. The paper is important for students interested in the history and contemporary African politics in general and the Horn of Africa in particular. It can also serve as additional source of information for policy decision-makers of Ethiopia and Djibouti.","PeriodicalId":129334,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian journal of the social sciences and humanities","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126904648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This research examines the progress achieved and the costs incurred as a result of the application of a developmental state model in Ethiopia. To this end, the researcher relied on secondary sources. Based on a thorough analysis of relevant sources, the following findings are obtained. Even though the developmental state has brought an observable level of economic growth, it has also caused several detrimental effects in other spheres: eroding the value of pluralism; endangering human rights; entrenching a single-party authoritarian rule; leading to rampant corruption; intensifying arbitrary intervention in the life of citizens. In implementing the model, the focus was on economic growth while the political aspect of it was sidelined. As a result, the researcher suggests that economic growth and political transformation (democratization) should be valued equally and pursued side-by-side, not in tandem.
{"title":"Developmental State of Ethiopia: Reflections on the Benefits Obtained and the Costs Incurred","authors":"E. Bayeh","doi":"10.4314/ejossah.v14i2.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ejossah.v14i2.3","url":null,"abstract":"This research examines the progress achieved and the costs incurred as a result of the application of a developmental state model in Ethiopia. To this end, the researcher relied on secondary sources. Based on a thorough analysis of relevant sources, the following findings are obtained. Even though the developmental state has brought an observable level of economic growth, it has also caused several detrimental effects in other spheres: eroding the value of pluralism; endangering human rights; entrenching a single-party authoritarian rule; leading to rampant corruption; intensifying arbitrary intervention in the life of citizens. In implementing the model, the focus was on economic growth while the political aspect of it was sidelined. As a result, the researcher suggests that economic growth and political transformation (democratization) should be valued equally and pursued side-by-side, not in tandem.","PeriodicalId":129334,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian journal of the social sciences and humanities","volume":"56 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130042486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Following the coming into power of the EPRDF (Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front) in 1991, several political organizations took part in the political process in Ethiopia that promised a multi-party system. Although general elections in which several political organizations took part were held in 1995, the May 2005 elections provided an opportunity for the people to participate in the elections en masse. This paper argues that while the EPRDF indulged in the rhetoric of multi-party politics before the 2005 election, its crackdown in the aftermath of the same, its claims of total victory in 2010 and 2015 elections, and the politics of antagonism it has been persistently pursuing exposed the regime’s lack of commitment in multi-party elections as an important aspect of democratic politics. Secondly while the protests of 2014-2017 and the subsequent initiatives on the part of the government since have rekindled hope for democratic engagement, uncertainties remain. By using state-society relations as framework of analyses and reviewing secondary sources – books, articles, reports and web sources – this article makes a critical reflection on multi-party political rhetoric, the consequences of political control and repression, the significance of the concept of political community for political transformation in general and the conduct of genuine multi-party elections in the country in particular in the future.
{"title":"Electoral Politics, Multi-partism and the Quest for Political Community in Ethiopia","authors":"Solomon Mebrie","doi":"10.4314/ejossah.v14i2.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/ejossah.v14i2.4","url":null,"abstract":"Following the coming into power of the EPRDF (Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front) in 1991, several political organizations took part in the political process in Ethiopia that promised a multi-party system. Although general elections in which several political organizations took part were held in 1995, the May 2005 elections provided an opportunity for the people to participate in the elections en masse. This paper argues that while the EPRDF indulged in the rhetoric of multi-party politics before the 2005 election, its crackdown in the aftermath of the same, its claims of total victory in 2010 and 2015 elections, and the politics of antagonism it has been persistently pursuing exposed the regime’s lack of commitment in multi-party elections as an important aspect of democratic politics. Secondly while the protests of 2014-2017 and the subsequent initiatives on the part of the government since have rekindled hope for democratic engagement, uncertainties remain. By using state-society relations as framework of analyses and reviewing secondary sources – books, articles, reports and web sources – this article makes a critical reflection on multi-party political rhetoric, the consequences of political control and repression, the significance of the concept of political community for political transformation in general and the conduct of genuine multi-party elections in the country in particular in the future.","PeriodicalId":129334,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian journal of the social sciences and humanities","volume":"57 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124253979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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