Browsing by Author "Tolera, Assefa (PhD)"

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    Child Labour in the Informal Sector: the Case of Gulele Sub City, Addis Ababa
    (Addis Ababa University, 2008-07) Gedlu, Addisu; Tolera, Assefa (PhD)
    This study aims at assessing child labour in the informal sector of Gulele Sub-city, Addis Ababa with particular reference to Shiro Meda and Addisu Gebaya. The study looks at the factors that contribute for the involvement of children in the labour market; the living and working conditions of child labourers; the negative and positive impacts of child labour on the working children; the perceptions of child labour from the perspectives of working children, employers and members of the society; the challenges and abusive practices child labourers face; and the legislations that protect children from labour exploitation. To undertake this study I employed qualitative research method, which is the dominant research methodology of the field of social anthropology, as the sole technique of data collection. I gathered information pertinent to the study through structured and unstructured interviews, observation, case study and focus group discussion. Theories of child labour such as the ‘labour market’, the ‘human capital’, the ‘social responsibility’ and the ‘children-centered’ were reviewed and used in order to shed light on the issue of child labour in the informal sector. All these theories were useful for this study. Child labour in general and in the informal sector in particular is not exhaustively studied in the country. But this dearth of data seems serious in the informal sector of the city of Addis Ababa, especially in the study areas. There are limited anthropological studies on child labour. Nonetheless, they did not address the informal sector all in all. They focused only on a certain area of child labour in the informal sector. Findings from this study show that poverty, migration, child trafficking, parental unemployment, the newly introduced education system (i.e., full-day schooling), and HIV/AIDS and family breakdown or displacement are the major causes of child labour in the study areas. It also shows the positive and negative impacts of child labour on the working children including the interface between child labour and education. Positively, work enables children to meet their basic needs, develop self-confidence, high self-esteem, a sense of self-reliance and responsibility, and good social interaction. It also puts negative impact on the holistic personality development of the child. It has physical, health and psychosocial impacts on the working children. Child labour and education are inversely related. Child labour affects the school enrollment and participation of children. High participation of children in school reduces the number of working children. Different people may have different perceptions towards child labour. Children may see child labour from different angle than employers and members of the society. Some children view ‘work’ as useful for their survival. Some others perceive it as something detrimental to their holistic development. Employers have different views and stressed that they employ children to help them meet their basic needs. Members of the society perceive ‘child labour’ something ‘useful’ and ‘harmful’, and hold moderate attitude. The other most important finding of this study is the challenges child labourers face when they try to run away from labour exploitation. Some of these are poverty, language barrier, inability to afford transportation cost, violent employers, phobia created by employers, etc. They also encounter physical, verbal and psychological abuses from employers, ‘parents’ or ‘relatives’, colleagues, security officials, hooligans and customers. Moreover, child labour legislations and their enforcements in the context of the study areas are assessed in this study. It highlights that Ethiopia has adequate legislations that protect children from abuses such as labour exploitation. But the main problem here is the ill enforcement of these legislations enshrined in different legal documents of the country. Therefore, there is great gap between the laws of the country and their enforcements. In short, this study ignites green light for further studies, and provide fertile ground for possible intervention policy makers on the problem of children in general and child labour in particular in the study areas and the country at large
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    Oromo Indigenous Religion: Anthropological Understanding of Waaqeffannaa Nature Link, with Highlight on Livelihood in Guji Zone, Adola Redde and Girja Districts
    (Addis Ababa University, 2017-06) Jaleta, Mulugeta; Tolera, Assefa (PhD)
    The aim of this thesis is to investigate and identify the Oromo Indigenous Religion (IR)-Waaqeffannaa link to natural environment (Land and forest), and its values in all aspects of Guji Oromo life, in the anthropological lens. In this study, the what, where and why Waaqeffannaa persistently deep-rooted in to the daily life of Guji-Oromo and their amicable co-existence with nature have been discussed and analyzed. The study employed qualitative research approach with ethnographic research design, because of the nature of the identified research problem, that peoples’ experience in the environment, and belief system and practices to be studied. The actual study participants have been selected by means of non-probability sampling method, from Adola Redde and Girja districts. Purposive sampling has been employed in this study, because, the relevant respondents from the target group have been selected carefully, by the researcher, to get reliable and rich data. Ethical issues strongly respected. Detailed interview, Focused group discussion, Observation, Informal conversation and Document review are data gathering tools employed. The sample size of this study depends on the saturation of data collected. Data collection and organizations took place in August and September 2016, while interpretation, and analysis took place in October to December 2016. Girja and Adola Redde Districts have been identified as study population due to their potential resource fullness which is useful to this study. This study argued that Indigenous Religion (IR) -Waaqeffannaa contributed to the existence and preservation of natural environment, which in turn, natural environment has contributed for the existence of conducive conditions for all lives both human and non-human nature in that area. As a result people of the area enjoyed diversified livelihoods due to favorable climatic conditions. Waaqeffannaa link with nature is more of spiritual and socio-economical in nature. Therefore, there is lesson to learn from ancestors that this study found and more studies recommended to be conducted for more lesson. Key words: Abba Gada, Gada System, Waaqa, Waaqeffannaa, Guji-Oromo, Balli, Qallu, Ardaa-Jilaa
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    Socio Cultural Integration and Cultural Diffusion between Amhara Resettlers and the Host community: the Case of Zefine Menuka, Gamo Gofa zone
    (Addis Ababa University, 2015-11) Paulos, Kidist; Tolera, Assefa (PhD)
    This study was conducted on the socio-cultural integration of missionary sponsored voluntary resettler Amhara people from northern Ethiopia: Gondar, Wollo, Shewa and Gojjam with the host Gamo society in Zefine-Menuka. The resettler moved to Zefine-Menuka kebele, Boreda Wereda, Gamo Gofa zone, SNNPR regional state, Ethiopia in the late 1960s in two journey of the resettlement. In this study, a qualitative research method was used. Data were collected through observations, FGD, in-depth interview with key informants, oral history interview, case study, and informal interviews. The primary as well as the secondary data was used to uncover the context of the situation in the study area. Informants were selected by purposive and snowball sampling methods and data presentation and analysis were carried out in narratives. The data showed that, although the resettler have been living in the study area for over 46 years, their socio-cultural integration with the host society is not strong as per the year they live together. The diffusion of culture from the host to the resettler and vice versa was not extensive. However, interaction and relationship in the market, work places (farm), aesthetic sport activities (such as football games, and volleyball), church, and peasant association created a favorable situation for the development of integration between the Amhara resettlers and the host Gamo and Wolayta society. The existence of intermarriage (although unidirectional and very few), proficiency in language, relationship in different religious and social ties such as God parenting, eye parenting, Zikir and etc. were possible situations that showed the existence of integration among the people. Exchange of cultural attributes such as religious beliefs, farming methods, different tools and equipment, values, and norms in different social and cultural setting were observed in their long term integration. Because of the integration and exchange (diffusion) of different material and non-material traits of culture, observable changes happened in the socio-cultural practices of the resettler society compared either with their past trend and/ or with their homeland socio-cultural practices. In conclusion, it was observed that the isolated pattern of residence settlements, large size of the resettler population, resettlers’ trend of tending to keep themselves away from the host society, and cultural differences are the barriers for the strong and deep integration and diffusion (exchange) of cultures between the resettler and host society in the study area
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    The Transforming Power of Urbanization: Changes and Uncertainties among the Farming Community in Laga Xafo-Laga Dadhi Town, Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa University, 2014-09) Emana, Teshome; Benzing, Brigitta (PhD); Tolera, Assefa (PhD)
    This dissertation deals with the transforming power of urbanization and its contemporaneous challenges and uncertainties among a farming community that has recently been included in a newly established urban center in Ethiopia. Selected informants from the farming community, government line departments, and some concerned individuals in the private development projects were consulted to generate the qualitative data through focus group discussions, in-depth interview, and observations. In addition, a survey was carried out to fetch some relevant quantitative data to support the qualitative data. For this purpose, 178 households filled in a questionnaire consisting of 36 questions with both close and open-ended questions. There are several findings observed in this study. It has been found out that, pertaining to Ethiopian land policy and how a single change, change in land ownership, has affected the livelihood of many the farmers who have been living on farming for several generations. This dissertation contends that land dispossession has been perpetuating in all the regimes since the coming of the non-Oromo groups to the present location of Addis Ababa and its surrounding. At the same time, it is found out that the number of actors who play legal and visible roles and illegal and invisible roles in land market is increasing. It is also found out that urbanization has transformed the use of land as well as the living conditions of individuals. The study has shown that the change in land ownership has resulted in the emergence of two competing perceptions for land resource (land as a source of life and land as a source of money) together with subsequent resistances and struggle between the old and the new comers. In addition, the cultural meaning that the farming community attaches to the urban development processes and to the government agents is skeptical. The farmers’ adaptive strategies to the opportunities and challenges of the new urban context are found to be individual-oriented and not supported by a well established system of government. Based on the opinions of the informants, there are some sounding alternatives suggested to help the community better adapt to the new opportunities and challenges in the urbanization process