De 'nationale sport' onder de Surma in zuidwestelijk Ethiopië is het stokduel tussen jonge, ongetrouwde mannen. De wedstrijden worden gehouden gedurende 4 à 6 weken in een rustige periode na de... Show moreDe 'nationale sport' onder de Surma in zuidwestelijk Ethiopië is het stokduel tussen jonge, ongetrouwde mannen. De wedstrijden worden gehouden gedurende 4 à 6 weken in een rustige periode na de oogst. De deelnemende vechters zijn afkomstig uit de verschillende 'burans' (territoriale eenheden of dorpsgemeenschappen die tevens fungeren als veehouderscollectieven). Het feitelijke vechten wordt gedaan met lange stokken en is aan strenge regels en voorschriften gebonden. Helaas is er tegenwoordig sprake van een zorgelijke ontwikkeling in het stokduel. Scheidsrechters hebben steeds meer moeite om de gevechten in de hand te houden en de omstanders te kalmeren. Het schieten met automatische geweren zodra de eigen kandidaten dreigen te verliezen heeft de gevechtsarena tot een gevaarlijke plek gemaakt. Indien het de oudere generatie, dwz de 'regerende' leeftijdsklasse, niet lukt de acceptatie van de regels van het spel te herstellen, zal het stokvechten tot grote onderlinge verdeeldheid in de Surma-samenleving leiden, en wellicht zelfs op den duur verdwijnen. Bibliogr Show less
This bibliography on Ethiopia and Eritrea is a sequel to 'Ethiopian society and history: a bibliography of Ethiopian studies 1957-1990' (1990). The present volume, which covers the period 1990... Show moreThis bibliography on Ethiopia and Eritrea is a sequel to 'Ethiopian society and history: a bibliography of Ethiopian studies 1957-1990' (1990). The present volume, which covers the period 1990-1995, contains c. 2000 items. Books, journal articles, and articles from collective volumes have been included. The entries are arranged under the following headings: Bibliographies; History and development of Eritreo-Ethiopian studies; Manuscripts, documents, sources, library studies; Travellers and foreigners; History; Cultural geography, ecology, demography; Politics and law before 1974; Politics, law and revolutionary development after 1974; Politics and law after 1991; Peasantry and the rural sector after 1974; The urban sector; Modernization, communications, industry and 'development'; Economics, economic policy, banking; Social structure, social change and gender; Drought and famine, refugees and resettlement; International relations; Ethno-regional conflicts; Education; Health and health care; Ethnomedicine and indigenous knowledge; Folklore, magic, oral traditions; Music; Material culture, architecture, arts and crafts; Christian and hagiographical literature; Religion and missions; Ethnology and anthropology. The last section is subdivided according to ethno-cultural groups. A list of collective volumes and an index of authors' names have been included Show less
Ethiopië lijkt een fase van 'deconstructie en reconstructie' door te maken sinds de val van het regime Mengistu in mei 1991. Het land is in een proces van politieke herstructurering verwikkeld... Show moreEthiopië lijkt een fase van 'deconstructie en reconstructie' door te maken sinds de val van het regime Mengistu in mei 1991. Het land is in een proces van politieke herstructurering verwikkeld en poogt een basis te leggen voor een meer open, democratische samenleving. Als gevolg van bijna vier jaar overgangsbeleid is Ethiopië reeds aanzienlijk veranderd: er bestaat vrede en relatieve rust; er is veel meer sociale en politieke vrijheid; er is een opener, markt-georiënteerde economie, met betere voorwaarden voor economische activiteit; het bewind is erin geslaagd etniciteit of 'nationaliteit' een alom tegenwoordig punt te maken onder de bevolking; decentralisatie en 'etnisering' van de regio's zijn vergevorderd, ofschoon de feitelijke controle nog steeds bij de centrale regering ligt. Een probleem vormt de dominantie van het EPRDF (Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front) en de TGE (Transitional Government of Ethiopia) en de relatie tussen de zittende machthebbers en de oppositie. De verkiezingen van juni 1994 en mei 1995 leidden tot een versterking van de positie van de zittende regering, maar losten de problemen van representativiteit en legitimiteit van deze regering niet op. Het dilemma van etnisering en/of representatieve democratie blijft voorlopig nog bestaan. Noten, samenvatting in het Engels (p. 624) Show less
L'expérience de renouveau politique en Éthiopie est en cours depuis 1991, lorsque le régime du colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam fut remplacé par une coalition de mouvements de guérilla à base ethnique... Show moreL'expérience de renouveau politique en Éthiopie est en cours depuis 1991, lorsque le régime du colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam fut remplacé par une coalition de mouvements de guérilla à base ethnique dirigée par l'EPRDF (Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front). La politique de restructuration démocratique du TGE (Transitional Government of Ethiopia) est fondée sur le postulat que la démocratisation ne pourra être établie qu'à travers la réalisation des droits ethniques des différentes 'nationalités' du pays. L'Éthiopie devrait donc devenir une fédération démocratique de régions-ethnies au lieu de rester un État unitaire. Cet article évoque les implications d'une telle ligne idéologique et évalue les élections 'démocratiques' tenues depuis 1992. Pour une partie croissante de la population, la politique de restructuration devient décevante. La République fédérale d'Éthiopie a été réalisée le 8 décembre 1994 avec l'adoption par l'Assemblée constituante de la nouvelle Constitution. Mais les partis d'opposition les plus importants ne sont pas satisfaits et ils sont tentés de boycotter les élections nationales prévues pour mai ou juin 1995. Postscriptum, réf Show less
This essay deals with the relation between ritual behaviour and environmental conditions in an African rural society, that of the South-East Surmic (Nilo-Saharan)-speaking Me'en people, a group of... Show moreThis essay deals with the relation between ritual behaviour and environmental conditions in an African rural society, that of the South-East Surmic (Nilo-Saharan)-speaking Me'en people, a group of 'tribal' cultivators in Käfa region, Ethiopia. The study attempts to integrate 'ideational' and material-environmental elements, in order to explain how meaning in ritual is constituted in the dialectic between human action and environmental conditions. For this purpose, a text of the 'mósit', a central ritual of the Me'en, is presented and discussed. The author looks at the significance of environmental referents in the ritual acts and words, and at how the language and the context of the 'mósit' reflect social and reproductive relations within Me'en society. The aim is an explanatory account of the 'mósit' as a religious ritual system. The unifying theoretical perspective which informs this analysis is derived from the theory of E.T. Lawson and R.N. MacCauley (1990), which advocates a 'competence'-approach to religious ritual behaviour. Show less
This article examines how violent interaction between ethnic and social groups in Ethiopia has shaped the contours of contemporary society. It focuses on the so-called Red Terror period of the... Show moreThis article examines how violent interaction between ethnic and social groups in Ethiopia has shaped the contours of contemporary society. It focuses on the so-called Red Terror period of the late 1970s, which marks a decisive stage in the transformation of violence and politics in Ethiopia. The intense physical and psychological violence of the Red Terror period had a lasting effect on the collective mind and on social relations among Ethiopians. Because of its violation of central sociocultural ideals and codes in Ethiopian society, it decisively undermined any idea of 'social contract' or 'trust' between the State and the population. This breakdown of trust led to a dissociation of civilians from national policy and power structures, and to a serious weakening of overall social cohesion. Show less
Although the Ethiopian Transitional Government has been attempting since 1991 to set up new national and regional structures of administration and cooperation that may eventually lead to some form... Show moreAlthough the Ethiopian Transitional Government has been attempting since 1991 to set up new national and regional structures of administration and cooperation that may eventually lead to some form of locally entrenched, ethnic-based democracy, these are not yet fully in place in K„fa region in southern Ethiopia. This paper analyses the possibilities and constraints of the Ethiopian model by highlighting the increasing ethno-political tensions in this 'marginal' area, notably between the Dizi and the Suri in the Maji area. It examines the political and ecological factors which played a role in the recent upsurge of violence, and discusses the prospects for intervention and change. The paper is based on fieldwork carried out in the area during 1992 and 1993. Notes, ref Show less
The present article offers a descriptive survey of the most important plants used by the Southeast Surmic-speaking Me'en in southwestern K„fa, Ethiopia, based on information gathered over a period... Show moreThe present article offers a descriptive survey of the most important plants used by the Southeast Surmic-speaking Me'en in southwestern K„fa, Ethiopia, based on information gathered over a period of 14-months field research (1989-1991). Data covering the Me'en name of each plant, the scientific name, if known, and/or the Amharic equivalent and a brief description of the plant's use are presented in tabular form. The following categories are distinguished: plants used for house building and household utensils, plants used for clothing, magical plants, famine plants, medicinal plants, and ritual plants. The emphasis is on medicinal and ritual plants. Show less
Over the past few years (1985-1991), the Suri of the far southwest of Ethiopia have lived through a deep ecological and social crisis without substantial external aid from either the Ethiopian... Show moreOver the past few years (1985-1991), the Suri of the far southwest of Ethiopia have lived through a deep ecological and social crisis without substantial external aid from either the Ethiopian government or international aid agencies. They have experienced drought, cattle disease and an increasing level of violent conflict with their southern neighbours, the Nyangatom, leading to severe disruption of their traditional agropastoral subsistence system and settlement pattern. Through migration, the exploitation of gold resources and investment in automatic weapons, however, they have virtually managed a full recovery of their economy and society Show less
This paper describes the burial ceremony of the Surma-speaking Me'en of southwest Ethiopia as a collective ritual pervaded by cattle symbolism. The author discerns four basic elements in the... Show moreThis paper describes the burial ceremony of the Surma-speaking Me'en of southwest Ethiopia as a collective ritual pervaded by cattle symbolism. The author discerns four basic elements in the ritual: cattle are the prime ritual medium because they are the epitome of Me'en sociocultural ideals and social personhood; the fertility and well-being of the family and wider lineage groups is a dominant concern underlying a proper performance of the burial; communication with and appeasement of the lineage spirit as well as the 'soul' of the deceased is indispensable to avert misfortune for the descendants; acting out and reaffirming the underlying social, ritual and economic links with the family's affines is an implicit motive of the burial ceremony. In this sense, one might see the burial ritual in terms of a socially motivated strategy to avert strain between individuals and groups. The study is based on fieldwork carried out in the K„fa region in 1989-1990. Bibliogr., notes, sum. in French and Italian Show less
There is, as yet, still no adequate theoretical idiom to conceptualize, in an accepted, conventional manner, the processes conditioning ethnic naming and the political-economic embeddedness of... Show moreThere is, as yet, still no adequate theoretical idiom to conceptualize, in an accepted, conventional manner, the processes conditioning ethnic naming and the political-economic embeddedness of cultural complexities. The traditional primordial-mobilization dichotomy in ethnic studies, with its heuristic and descriptive advantages, remains attractive. Nonetheless, it would be advantageous for future anthropological studies of ethnic groups and relations to focus on the processes of infrastructural political-ecological conditioning of ethnic labels and their symbolic use. An explanation in terms of the psychological, affective validity of ethnicity is at most a derivative of such a process and has more to do with the individual experience rather than the collective aspects of ethnicity. The case of Maji 'awraja' (subprovince) in southwestern Ethiopia, where the author conducted fieldwork in 1988-1990, serves as illustration. The ethnonyms in use here primarily reflect a history of politico-ecological conflict between various groups of different composition and not a smooth transfer of cultural heritages within well-defined "tribes", despite a popular local image to the contrary. State discourse and policy plays a crucial role in the process. The discussion is restricted to four groups: the Dizi, the Tishana-Me'en, the Surma (or Tirma) and the Northerners (or "Amhara"). Bibliogr., notes, ref Show less
This study is a contribution to the analysis of the interplay of myth, legend, history and identity of the Beta Esra'el or Falasha of Ethiopia from a historical-anthropological perspective. The... Show moreThis study is a contribution to the analysis of the interplay of myth, legend, history and identity of the Beta Esra'el or Falasha of Ethiopia from a historical-anthropological perspective. The focus is on the issue of their ethnogenesis, or origin history, and its mythical reflection in the ideological domain. All known variations or genres of the stories presented by the Beta Esra'el to a variety of travellers, researchers and other visitors are presented, in conjunction with the relevant historical knowledge available to date. The theoretical question guiding this effort is how one might arrive at some historically plausible conclusions on the basis of a critical reflection on mythical traditions. The starting point is that Beta Esra'el stories can only be seen in their proper perspective when related ideologically to the mythical tradition of the Amhara-Tigray, who were for a long time the two politically and culturally dominant groups in the region, especially during the time of the centralizing 'Solomonic' empire (c. 1270-1975). The kind of myths considered consist of a kind of 'sacred narratives', which the author calls 'mytho-legends'. The initial hypothesis is that the Amhara-Tigray mytho-legends and the Beta Esra'el mytho-legends on their own origin and religious tradition form part of one domain of discourse. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in French (p. 539) Show less
Comprehensive overview of publications on Ethiopia published between c. 1957 up to 1990. The 5433 entries are arranged according to the following broad subject areas: Bibliographies - History of... Show moreComprehensive overview of publications on Ethiopia published between c. 1957 up to 1990. The 5433 entries are arranged according to the following broad subject areas: Bibliographies - History of Ethiopianist studies - Studies on manuscripts, documents, archives and library resources - Travellers and foreigners - History - Cultural geography and demography - Politics and law before 1974 - Politics, law and revolutionary development after 1974 - Peasantry and the rural sector before 1974 - Peasantry and the rural sector after 1974 - The urban sector - Modernization, communications, industry and economic development - Social structure and social change - Drought and famine; refugees and resettlement - International relations - Ethnoregional conflicts - Education - Health and health care - Ethnomedicine, traditional healing, disease history - Folklore, magic, oral traditions - Music - Material culture, architecture, arts and crafts - Christian and hagiographical literature - Religion and missions - Ethnography and ethnology. An author index is included Show less
Ondanks een hongersnood van zeer dramatische omvang, interne politieke onrust, aanhoudende burgeroorlog en economische problemen lijkt het door militairen geleide bewind in Ethiopië stevig in het... Show moreOndanks een hongersnood van zeer dramatische omvang, interne politieke onrust, aanhoudende burgeroorlog en economische problemen lijkt het door militairen geleide bewind in Ethiopië stevig in het zadel te blijven zitten en de 'revolutie van bovenaf' voortgang te maken. Wat zijn hierbij op langere termijn de perspectieven voor de Ethiopische staatkundige eenheid en sociaal-economische ontwikkeling, en wat is de positie van het land in internationaal opzicht? Deze vragen worden in het verlengde van elkaar beantwoord in de volgende delen: huidige politieke structuur - spanning tussen nationale regering en etnische en regionale bewegingen - Ethiopië en de regio - de internationale positie van Ethiopië. Show less
