A Discourse Analysis of Jaarsummaa, a Traditional Method of Dispute Resolution by Community Elders: Arsi Oromo in Focus
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Date
2013-06
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AAU
Abstract
A Discourse Analysis of Jaarsummaaa, a Traditional Method of Dispute Resolution
by Community Elders: Arsi Oromo in Focus
Alemu Disassa Mulleta
Addis Ababa University, 2013
This dissertation reports the result of a critical analysis of the discourse jaarsummaa
among Arsi Oromo of Ethiopia. Although it has been used for centuries as a major
resource in resolving conflicts among Oromo people, little attempt has been made to
uncover the interactional features of jaarsummaa. Previous studies were mainly
descriptive and outcome oriented. They did not address the issue of social power
relationship in jaarsummaa discourse. Hence, this study adopts a discourse analytic
approach to explicate the complexities and subtleties involved jaarsummaa discourse
focusing on its genre structure, persuasive discourse strategies of the elders, social/gender
power relationship, and major approaches of mediation employed by the elders. To this
end, twelve actual jaarsummaa sessions were audio-recorded from three districts of West
Arsi Zone, and data on the broader socio-cultural background of jaarsummaa were
collected through observation, field notes, and interviews. A socio-cultural approach to
discourse analysis has been utilized to analyze both textual and contextual aspects of
jaarsummaa.
The analyses reveals that jaarsummaa among Arsi Oromo has a rather stable
macrostructures with distinct communication patterns and purposes. It has four major
phases and several moves and steps, the sequential occurrence of which is regulated by
uumee/seera ambaa ‘traditional norms and laws’ of the society. The analyses also
indicates that the elders use a number of persuasive discourse strategies that help them
make emotional appeal to disputants’ through positive presentation of self and the
jaarsummaa program. To legitimize their persuasion, the elders often appeal to societal
norms, religious discourse, and the government discourse.
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The findings also show that husbands have absolute power over their wives and such
male power dominance has been legitimized and sustain by the mainstream discourses of
the target society. Further, it was found out that the elders seem to have total power over
disputants. In addition to their rhetorical power, the elders employ their moral power,
social power, informational power, and positional power given to them by courts. In
spousal dispute mediations, the elders aggressively persuaded the wives to accept the
final decisions by using various discourse strategies such as naturalizing the conflict and
the subsequent reconciliation of the couples, ignoring and mitigating major concerns of
the wives, and making promises to stop the husbands from further abuses. Other
economic and socio-cultural factors also coerced the wives to accept the decision. The
analysis also shows that the elders start with problem solving approach and move on to
therapeutic approach of mediation.
Based on the above findings, recommendations such as having female mediators as
representatives, educating and economically empowering women, giving awareness
raising trainings for the elders on issues of gender rights and equalities, have been
suggested as part of an attempt to refine the jaarsummaa practice. Finally, replication of
same studies with large corpus, analysis of discourse of Gadaa court, comparative studies
of court referred and normally held jaarsummaa cases and cases from urban and rural
areas were suggested as potential focuses of further research in the area.
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Keywords
Jaarsummaa , Traditional Mediation , Mediation Discourse, Discourse Analysis, Genre Analysis, Arsi Oromo