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This book takes stock of political reform in Ethiopia and the
transformation of Ethiopian society since the adoption of
multi-party politics and ethnic federalism in 1991.
Decentralization, attempted democratization via ethno-national
representation, and partial economic liberalization have
reconfigured Ethiopian society and state in the past two decades.
Yet, as the contributors to this volume demonstrate, 'democracy' in
Ethiopia has not changed the authority structures and the culture
of centralist decision-making of the past. The political system is
tightly engineered and controlled from top to bottom by the ruling
Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).
Navigating between its 1991 announcements to democratise the
country and its aversion to power-sharing, the EPRDF has
established a de facto one-party state that enjoys considerable
international support. This ruling party has embarked upon a
technocratic 'developmental state' trajectory ostensibly aimed at
'depoliticizing' national policy and delegitimizing alternative
courses. The contributors analyze the dynamics of authoritarian
state-building, political ethnicity, electoral politics and
state-society relations that have marked the Ethiopian polity since
the downfall of the socialist Derg regime. Chapters on ethnic
federalism, 'revolutionary democracy', opposition parties, the
press, the judiciary, state-religion, and state-foreign donor
relations provide the most comprehensive and thought-provoking
review of contemporary Ethiopian national politics to date. This
book is based on a special issue of the Journal of Eastern African
Studies.
This volume explores the constitutive role of rhetoric in
socio-cultural relations, where discursive persuasion is so
important, and contains both theoretical chapters as well as
fascinating examples of the ambiguities and effects of rhetoric
used (un)consciously in social praxis. The elements of power,
competition and political persuasion figure prominently. It is an
accessible collection of studies, speaking to common issues and
problems in social life, and shows the heuristic and often
explanatory value of the rhetorical perspective.
This book discusses the problems and challenges of
environmental-ecological conditions in Africa, amidst the current
craze of economic growth and 'development'. Africa's significant
economic dynamics and growth trajectories are marked by neglect of
the environment, reinforcing ecological crises. Unless
environmental-ecological and population growth problems are
addressed as an integral part of developmental strategies and
growth models, the crises will accelerate and lead to huge costs in
later years. Chapters examine multiple emerging tension points all
across the continent, including the potential benefits and harm of
growing urban-based ecotourism, the trajectory of labour-saving
technologies and the problems facing agro-pastoralism. Although
environmental management and sustainability features of African
rural societies should not be idealized, functional 'traditional'
economies, interests and management practices are often bypassed,
seen by state elites as inefficient and inhibiting 'growth'. In
many regions the seeds are now sown for lasting environmental
crises that will affect local societies that have rarely been given
opportunity to claim accountability from the state regimes and
donors driving these changes.
There are good reasons to look at violence from new perspectives.
In its endless manifestations violence is part and parcel of human
existence, and is very probably a constituting element of human
society. And yet violent action - warfare, penalties, insults,
feuding, assault, murder, rape, suicide, sports - remains in all
its complexity one of the least understood fields of human social
life.The book's contributors identify the symbolic and ritualized
aspects of violence, and suggest ways of 'reading' violence as it
occurs in the world, whether as violent duelling and age-group
violence in Southern Ethiopia, bullfighting in Iberia, cattle
rustling in Kenya, guerrilla and militia wars in Colombia, or
public executions in China.These case studies suggest that
'violence' is not a simple, universal urge, but is contingent and
context-dependent, shaped by social relations of power, force and
dominance. To be the victim of violence is a humiliating and
frightening experience. But the many ambiguities that occur in the
use of violence must be considered, to understand why peace seems
only to exist as a contrast to the violation of peace.
There are good reasons to look at violence from new perspectives.
In its endless manifestations violence is part and parcel of human
existence, and is very probably a constituting element of human
society. And yet violent action - warfare, penalties, insults,
feuding, assault, murder, rape, suicide, sports - remains in all
its complexity one of the least understood fields of human social
life.
The book's contributors identify the symbolic and ritualized
aspects of violence, and suggest ways of 'reading' violence as it
occurs in the world, whether as violent duelling and age-group
violence in Southern Ethiopia, bullfighting in Iberia, cattle
rustling in Kenya, guerrilla and militia wars in Colombia, or
public executions in China.
These case studies suggest that 'violence' is not a simple,
universal urge, but is contingent and context-dependent, shaped by
social relations of power, force and dominance. To be the victim of
violence is a humiliating and frightening experience. But the many
ambiguities that occur in the use of violence must be considered,
to understand why peace seems only to exist as a contrast to the
violation of peace.
This volume contains original studies on civic action and
socio-political behavior in contemporary Africa, ranging from young
entrepreneurship in traditional medicine and confidence trickster
practices to (in)formal labor relations and the problems of
democratization and electoral authoritarianism. The book thus
connects to themes that are predominant in the work of Dr. Piet
Konings, a sociologist of development and Africanist who had a
distinguished research career at the African Studies Center in
Leiden and made major contributions to Ghana Studies and Cameroon
Studies. The chapters address various forms and mutations of
contemporary civic action in the political, economic, and social
domains of African societies, all based on original field research
and revealing unexpected dimensions of African socio-political
life. The key themes discussed by Piet Konings in his own work are
reflected in the book, including: labor relations * trade union
activities * African development and the impacts of
'neo-liberalism' * educational systems and policies * political and
social history * the politics of identity * ethno-regionalism *
religious phenomena * civil society and civic movements. These
themes prove to be of undiminished relevance in Africa today, in
the light of: the rapid economic developments since the early
2000s, persistent social contestation, and new forms of political
claim-making which illustrate the as-yet-unresolved problems of
state performance and collective political identities. (Series:
African Studies Centre (Leiden/The Netherlands) - Vol. 5)
This book discusses the problems and challenges of
environmental-ecological conditions in Africa, amidst the current
craze of economic growth and 'development'. Africa's significant
economic dynamics and growth trajectories are marked by neglect of
the environment, reinforcing ecological crises. Unless
environmental-ecological and population growth problems are
addressed as an integral part of developmental strategies and
growth models, the crises will accelerate and lead to huge costs in
later years. Chapters examine multiple emerging tension points all
across the continent, including the potential benefits and harm of
growing urban-based ecotourism, the trajectory of labour-saving
technologies and the problems facing agro-pastoralism. Although
environmental management and sustainability features of African
rural societies should not be idealized, functional 'traditional'
economies, interests and management practices are often bypassed,
seen by state elites as inefficient and inhibiting 'growth'. In
many regions the seeds are now sown for lasting environmental
crises that will affect local societies that have rarely been given
opportunity to claim accountability from the state regimes and
donors driving these changes.
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