Fear of Ethnic-Based Violence and Associated Factors among Higher Education Students in Ethiopia: The Case of Wolaita Sodo University, Southern Ethiopia
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Date
2020-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
In societies, such as Ethiopia, where ethnically diverse people live, some conflict on identity-based cleavage is expected. Universities are one of the contexts where ethnic tensions and conflicts occur, and there is an increasing concern that they become the major battlefields for ethnic conflict in Ethiopia. The objective of the present research was to assess the prevalence of fear of ethnic violence and associated factors among students learning in higher education institutions of Ethiopia, with particular reference to Wolaita Sodo University. Both descriptive and analytical research designs were used where quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted. 375 undergraduate regular students were selected through stratified multi-stage cluster sampling technique to participate in a structured questionnaire. In addition, two FGDs, each containing six members, and in-depth interviews with 14 students were conducted to triangulate data collected through the survey method. Quantitative data were inserted in to SPSS version 20 and then analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical tools. Analysis of the qualitative data was started in the field where data presentation was made in narration after thematic analysis. Fear of ethnic violence among the research participants was found to be high but fluctuating depending on prevailing circumstances in and out of the study area. In addition, fear of ethnic violence was found to be significantly associated with students‟ previous victimization experience of ethnic violence (0.003, P<0.01). Moreover, mutual trust among the students from diverse ethnic groups in the campus was found to be smooth and positive. While institutional ethnic-based discrimination is absent, language barriers in accessing some services in the campus were discovered. Among others, prayer was found to be the most commonly used (64%) adaptation mechanism that students use to cope with fear of ethnic violence in the campus. Above all, reforming the campus‟s security system, making periodic discussions with students, and addressing language barriers of accessing services are some of the interventions that the management of the University should do to make sure that student of Wolaita Sodo University feel being in the safest campus.
Key words: ethnic violence, fear, students, higher education, security system, discrimination
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Keywords
ethnic violence, fear, students, higher education, security system, discrimination