Federalism and Students’ Conflict Management in Ethiopian Higher Educational Institutions: The Case of Arba Minch University
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Abstract
Since recent years, conflict, particularly latent conflict is frequently emerged everywhere and at
any time, especially in Ethiopian higher educational institutions but the ability to manage them
is different from institution to institution. Thus, the main objective of the study is to examine the
capacity of federalism to manage conflicts between or among students in Arba Minch university.
To accomplish the above objective, mixed research approach, both primary and secondary
sources of data as well as cluster and purposive sampling techniques were employed to provide
well integrated and clarified data analysis. By doing so, the finding of the study has revealed that
although there existed amicable social interaction among students of Arba Minch university,
some latent conflicts such as interpersonal, interethnic and interreligious conflicts were rarely
raised between or among students of the institution. Some of the main causes for the emergence
of those conflicts in the university were ethnic identity and religious differences, absence of
strong supervision upon the drive back students and those who have political mission, political
instability of the country due to the manipulation of ethnic federalism, interregional state
conflicts and students’ conflict in other universities. In this regard, students themselves,
instructors and administrative staffs as well as the local community were the main actors of
those conflicts. In addition, compromising and accommodation methods of conflict management
altogether with ADR mechanisms were employed by the institution to manage students’ conflicts.
Here, federalism, the local community and religious leaders have played prominent roles in
managing students’ conflicts on the behalf of informal mechanisms. Furthermore, the
university’s cooperative work culture with the local community and religious leaders; its
alertness to solve various problems of students; and passionate and peace-loving culture of the
local community are some good practices of Arba Minch university that other universities are
expected to learn from it in relation to students’ conflict management in a peaceful manner. Yet,
the study has verified that the institution should work a lot on preventing students’ conflicts
proactively, and on the establishment of all-inclusive club/committee which conduct further
studies upon the causes of students’ conflicts and various alternative solutions in order to
manage students’ conflicts effectively than ever before.
Description
Keywords
Federalism, students, Conflict management, higher educational institution