Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities

Postmodern Thoughts in Dawit’s Alämänor: Critiques on Normativity, Absolute Truth and the Sovereign Self

Abrham Gedamu, Anteneh Aweke, Ayenew Guadu — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The advancement of communication technology in this postmodern era exposed people for multiple narratives – viewpoints that are often subversive to the existing metanarratives. This condition, in turn, delegitimizes objective worldviews such as truth, social norms, self-identity and so on. But is there such a thing as objective truth? To what extent does an individual‟s inner self be affected by normativity in the Ethiopian social setting? Having these couple of questions in mind, an attempt to scrutinize how Dawit in his novel Alämänor (2017, literally translated as “Nonexistence”, deconstructs people‟s conception about truth and reprehends one‟s obedience to collective norms at the expense of their inner self is made. In this analysis, we illustrate that the novel is devoted to prove how people‟s intuitive knowledge about „truth‟ is mistaken, and condemn some social norms that make people pretend to behave, communicate and act against their inner selves.

Interrogating Kant and Husserl on the Ethico-Political Implications of Transcendental Philosophy

Amon Bekele — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Transcendental philosophy is characterized by the attempt to understand the fundamental structures of our ordinary experience- it is in a sense ‘metaphysics of experience’. In the history of western philosophy we find various conceptions of the transcendental. Of these varieties three traditions stand out: The Greek, the Kantian and the Phenomenological traditions. These traditions differ considerably; yet they all contend that philosophy is ‘a search for the radical and foundational structures of experience and reality’. This paper focuses on the second and third traditions. Within the Kantian tradition, the transcendental is understood as the objective condition of knowledge and experience. Unlike the Greek tradition, Kant does not take the transcendental to be the object of knowledge rather as ‘the immanent structure of knowledge’. Phenomenological transcendentalism discloses a conception of the transcendental which is radically different from the objectivistic approach of the Greeks as well as from the Kantian conception. While the latter takes the transcendental to be immanent to the subject, phenomenology takes it to be both transcendent and immanent. This article examines the two latter traditions to analyze the ethico-political implications of transcendental philosophy. The essentially ‘dichotomizing structure’ of transcendental philosophy gives rise to a problematic of inter-subjectivity. I shall discuss the problem of intersubjectivity in light of the three ethico-political implications of transcendental philosophy viz. epistemological determinacy, the elimination of the body and the primacy of the theoretical. The analysis hopes to show the essential relation between transcendental philosophy and structures of domination and oppression.

Male Seasonal Migration and Left-Behind Women: The Case of Guagusa Shekudad Woreda, Ethiopia

Zemenu Temesgen, Getachew Senishaw, Guday Emirie — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study was aimed at analysing the consequences of men’s seasonal labour migration on left-behind women in Guagusa Shekudad Woreda, Awi Zone, Amhara Region of Ethiopia. The study employed primary and secondary data sources. Primary data were collected through a combination of qualitative- ethnographic research methods involving in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and informal conversation. The ethnographic data were thematically organised and analysed by triangulating the various data sources to maintain the reliability and validity of the study findings. The study's findings showed that husbands' seasonal labour migration has empowering effects on the left-behind wives, leading to enhanced decision-making authority and improved socio-economic standing. Furthermore, the study indicated that husbands' seasonal migration influences the customary gender based division of labour within migratory households. In this particular context, the agricultural activities performed by the wives left behind expand to include tasks typically associated with men in society. This, in turn, generates a multitude of responsibilities and stress for the wives who are left behind. Overall, the study indicates that men's seasonal labour migration has both beneficial and detrimental effects on the women they leave behind. Nevertheless, the positive outcomes of men's seasonal work surpass the negative outcomes.

A Review of Food Security in Ethiopia from the Perspective of Human Rights-Based Approaches

Gizachew Animaw, Meskerem Abi, Messay Mulugeta, Mekete Bekele — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Ethiopia, the second-most populous country in Africa following Nigeria, exhibits a rapidly expanding economy, marked by a growth rate of 6.06% in Fiscal Year 2020/21. However, it is still one of the world's most food-insecure countries, and a significant number of its population suffers from hunger and malnutrition. The Global Hunger Index (GHI) score for the year 2022 rises rapidly to 27.6, signifying a severe and critical state of hunger and malnutrition. To address this problem, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) has already launched the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP), the largest social safety net programme on the African continent. The programme has significantly reduced drought impacts by 57% while simultaneously lowering the national poverty rate by 2%. However, its effectiveness in both rural and urban areas has been hampered by the incomplete adoption and application of the human rights based approaches (HRBAs). This article presents a rigorous critical review of Ethiopia's food security endeavours through the productive safety net programme, delving into the intricate ramifications of the country's food security challenges being exacerbated by the incomplete integration of rights-based approaches. The assessment used a systematic literature review and identified a considerable number of challenges in the operational implementation of the productive safety net programme, including biassed area selection, exclusion of vulnerable individuals, weakened institutional connections, gender bias, and limited community participation. These challenges are believed to stem from the absence of rights-centred approaches. Furthermore, the absence of adequate legislative and judicial tools to enforce the right to food has exacerbated the country's food insecurity crisis.

Challenging the Myth of Ethiopian Terrain Advantage: An Exploration of the Battle of Adwa

Daniel Kassahun Waktola — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study recasts the Battle of Adwa through a geographic lens, illuminating the spatial dynamics of troop camps, mobility, time management, and the intricate interplay between armies and terrain. In doing so, it challenges the commonly held narrative of Ethiopia's inherent topographic advantage, uncovering a unifying spatial pattern across the Italo-Ethiopian war's battlefields. Beyond highlighting this shared spatial structure, the study reveals how Ethiopia's geography proved not just a shield, but also a double-edged sword. Its strategic location and geo-economic assets made it a consistent target for invasion, despite the terrain's challenges. Additionally, the research sheds light on the pivotal role of "core-periphery" geopolitics in shaping the war's outcome, as Italian attempts to exploit regional divisions met their match against Ethiopian unity. Furthermore, the study emphasises the crucial element of adaptability in the face of diverse landscapes. Emperor Menelik's spatially-oriented leadership empowered his generals to outmanoeuvre the rigidly positioned Italian army, exemplifying "topographical possibilism" in contrast to the Italians' "topographic determinism" - their dependence on strategic locations for exerting pressure. Ultimately, the Battle of Adwa stands as a testament to the fact that victory doesn't solely reside in the terrain; it hinges on human agency and the ability to adapt and overcome.