Tradition Denied: Economic Development and Change among the Gibo Oromo Peasants of lllubabor
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Date
1997-06
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AAU
Abstract
In an attempt to uncover some factor that have been con traint to agriculrural
productivity, this paper concentrates on the investigation of the spec ific historical conditions
and the contemporary siruation of the Gibo peasants. Most of the srudies hitherto made in
different pans of the country try to single out factors such as system of land tenure, low level
of technology , government policy , tradition, etc., as bottlenecks to productivity. Such works
are characterized by lack of thorough treatment of the issues. I maintain that although
productivity can be determined by a number of complex factors, some among several play
a primary role in hampering productivity . The other factors in fact can be explained in terms
of consequences of the dominant ones.
Tradition is often conceived as something opposed to development and change. Hence
all possible measures are taken by policy makers to do away with tradition. In contrast this
paper argues that while "tradition" and "modernity" are not in conflict with one another, the
deteriorating living conditions of the Gibo peasants can be attributed to external factors. In
spite of the serious challenges that narure exerts on them (drought, diseases, pests , rodents ,
wild animals, etc.), that can be beyond the control of peasants, most of the time the people's
problems are deeply rooted in human relations and actions. Environmental degradation,
fragmentation of land, and other constraints are the results of such relations and actions. Thus
low agricultural productivity prevalent in the community understudy could largely be
attributed to ineffective government policies and their consequences rather than to tradition.
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some factor that have been con traint to agriculrural productivity