Socio-Cultural Values and Institutions and their Contributions to Livelihoods in the Blue Nile Basin: The Case of Agricultural Communities in Sekela Woreda, West Gojjam Zone of Amhara Region
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2015-09
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to investigate and analyze the socio-cultural values and institutions and their contributions to livelihoods among the agricultural communities in the Blue Nile Basin of Sekela Woreda, West Gojjam Zone of Amhara Region. More specifically, the study attempted to investigate the contributions of socio-cultural values and various community based institutions to livelihoods, and to identify the major constraints that impede the attainment of various livelihood strategies in the study communities.
To attain these objectives, the study accessed both primary and secondary data sources. The primary data were gathered through different ethnographic data collection methods involving in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, case studies and systematic observations. Secondary data sources were also critically reviewed to identify the research gaps, to obtain data on the demographic characteristics of the study communities and to support the ethnographic data with conceptual and theoretical insights. The study participants were local elders, different local institution members and leaders, women and youth association members and leaders, government officials and experts, local knowledgeable persons and others. The data collected through primary and secondary sources were thematically organized and analyzed through triangulation to increase the truth worthiness of the study findings.
The study found that various socio-cultural values contributed to the betterment of the study communities’ livelihoods. These socio-cultural values include: the value/culture of using organic fertilizer, keeping forests, sharing resources, helping each other, and the extended family structure, traditional practices and indigenous knowledge systems such as crop and field rotation, off-farming activities, indigenous weather forecasting and farming methods and religious and belief systems such as the belief in Tselote Bered, Tsebel, Debtera and Chefi. Moreover, the study found that community based institutions such as social and religious associations (Eqqub, Iddir and Mahaber) and work group organizations (Wonfel, Temado, Kenja, and Hura systems) are used by the local communities as livelihood strategies in the study area. More specifically, community based institutions promote social solidarity, social relationships and mutual interdependence among the study community members. The study further identified the major constraints (economic constraint, socio-cultural constraint and infrastructural constraint) which impede the implementation of various livelihood strategies in the study area.
Finally, the study concluded by suggesting areas for possible intervention of different governmental and non-governmental organizations to strengthen the contributions of local socio-cultural values and institutions to livelihoods and to overcome the major economic, socio-cultural and infrastructural constraints that impede the effective implementation of different livelihood strategies in the study area
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Social Anthropology