Desalegn Amsalu, Dissertation Final
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Addis Ababa University School of Graduate Studies Department of Social Anthropology History, Memory and Victimhood among the Kumpal Agäw in Northwest Ethiopia A Dissertation Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Addis Ababa University in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Social Anthropology By Desalegn Amsalu Advisors: Dr. Ayalew Gebre Dr. Fekadu Adugna May 2016 Addis Ababa Declaration by the candidate I, Desalegn Amsalu, hereby declare that this dissertation entitled “History, Memory and Victimhood among the Kumpal Agäw in Northwest Ethiopia” is the fruit of my original research work. I made every effort to clearly indicate when I used the contribution of others. Besides, the work has not been previously submitted in fulfillment of requirements for obtaining any degree other than this one. ©Desalegn Amsalu 2016 A guide to reading local terms In order to avoid unnecessary diacritics, in this dissertation, only those local terms which are significantly different from English pronunciation are represented in transliteration. The following are the major ones. Sound Phonetic features Example ä Open central unrounded vowel as in Ag äw ɨ Close central unrounded vowel as in ɨgɨr in Amharic q Uvular ejective as in an qa in Awngi x Velar ejective fricative as in Xamta Agäw s' Voiceless alveolar as in s' axasivi in Kumpal Awngi k' Voiced velar ejective as in k' äbäle in Amharic ñ Voiced nasal palatal occlusive as in k’olä ña in Amharic t’ Dental alveolar voiced ejective as in säk’o t’ a Moreover, transliteration is not used to write names of oral informants. In this case, it was my belief that it is enough, from the context they are mentioned, they are identified merely as informants. Names of authors in written sources is also represented the same as they are found in source material. TABLE OF CONTENTS Title page Glossary of Local Terms ...................................................................................................................... i Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................ iv Index of Photos .......................................................................................................................................v Index of Figures .................................................................................................................................... vi List of Maps ........................................................................................................................................... vii List of Cases ..........................................................................................................................................viii List of Appendices................................................................................................................................ ix Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... x Dedication .............................................................................................................................................. xii Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. xiii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................ 5 1.3. Objectives of the Study .............................................................................................................. 10 1.4. Proposed Contribution of the Research .............................................................................. 10 14.1. Empirical Contribution ......................................................................................................... 11 1.4.2. Contribution to Theories in Anthropology ............................................................. 12 1.4.3. Contribution in Relation to Solving Local Problems .......................................... 13 1.5. Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 13 1.5.1. Research Site, Site Selection, and Fieldwork Duration ..................................... 13 1.5.2. Research Paradigm .......................................................................................................... 16 1.5.3. Research Design ............................................................................................................... 17 1.5.4. Research Methods ............................................................................................................ 18 1.5.4.1. Interviews ............................................................................................................... 18 1.5.4.2. Participant Observation ..................................................................................... 20 1.5.4.3 Focus Group Discussion (FGD) ........................................................................ 20 1.5.4.4 Individual Case Studies ....................................................................................... 21 1.5.4.5. Community and Official Meetings .................................................................. 22 1.5.4.6. Photographing ....................................................................................................... 22 1.5.4.7. Written Sources .................................................................................................... 22 1.5.5. Primary vs. Secondary Sources ................................................................................... 23 1.5.6. Techniques of Data Analysis and Interpretation .................................................... 24 1.6. Ethical Issues ................................................................................................................................. 25 1.7. Challenges, Limitations and Opportunities ....................................................................... 26 1.7.1. Challenges .......................................................................................................................... 26 1.7.2. Opportunities.................................................................................................................... 28 1.7.3. Limitations ........................................................................................................................ 30 1.8. Dissertation Structure and Overview .................................................................................. 31 CHAPTER TWO CONCEPTS, FRAMEWORKS, THEORIES AND THE EMPIRICAL LITERATURE 2.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 34 2.2. Key Concepts/Themes .............................................................................................................. 34 2.2.1. History .................................................................................................................................. 34 2.2.2. Collective Memory ........................................................................................................... 35 2.2.3. Victimhood ......................................................................................................................... 39 2.3. Structural Matters ...................................................................................................................... 40 2.3.1. Agency .................................................................................................................................. 40 2.3.2. Level of Analysis, Source of Legitimacy, Medium of Communication, Status and Type ................................................................................................................. 41 2.4. Summary of the Analytical Framework: Three Terrains ............................................ 44 2.5. Theoretical Approaches ........................................................................................................... 46 2.6. An Review of Empirical Literature in the English Language ..................................... 50 2.6.1. Temporal Trends in the Literature ........................................................................... 50 2.6.2. Major Themes in the Literature ................................................................................. 52 2.6.3. Major Gaps in the Literature........................................................................................ 55 2.7. The State of Knowledge in Ethiopia .................................................................................... 56 2.8. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 56 CHAPTER THREE AN ETHNOGRAPHIC INTRODUCTION TO THE KUMPAL 3.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 58 3.2. Location and Demography ...................................................................................................... 58 3.3. Ethnonym .....................................................................................................................................