YARDSTIK INTERNATIONAL

COLLEGE

Course title:- Social Anthropology

Course code:- Anth - 1012
Group Assignment I
Group Members
Name ID No Department

1. Helen Eshetu RDMKT/006/13 Marketing

2. Estifanos Getnet RDMKT/005/13 Marketing
3. Emshaw Tibebu RDMGT/008/13 Management
4. Kidus Seleshi EDCS/006/13 Computer Science
5. Ferdisa Tiyar EDCS/003/13 Computer Science
6. Temesgen H/michael RDMGT/015/13 Management
7. Robel Belay RDMKT/013/13 Marketing
8. Belete Yigezu RDMKT/002/13 Marketing
9. Serkalem Abera RDACC/009/13 Accounting
10.Bezawit Abebaw RDACC/002/13 Accounting

Submitted to:- Mr. Yibeltal .F

Submitted date :- July 2021
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
1 Group Assignment of Social Anthropology

Assignment of Chapter Four

1. What does marginalization mean?

★ The treatment of a person or social group as minor, insignificant, or peripheral is known as

marginalization.
★ Marginalization refers to exclusion of certain groups from social interactions, marriage
relationships, sharing food and drinks, and working and living together.
★ Marginalization is a complex process of relegating specific groups of people to society's
lower or outer reaches. Following an exclusionary policy, effectively pushes these groups
of people to the periphery of society economically, politically, culturally, and socially.
★ There are marginalized social groups in every society and culture. Women, children, older
people, and people with disabilities are among marginalized groups across the world. The
nature and level of marginalization varies from society to society as a result of cultural
diversity. Religious, ethnic, and racial minorities are also among social groups
marginalized in different societies and cultures. Crafts workers such as tanner potters and
ironsmiths are marginalized in many parts of Ethiopia.

2. What is Vulnerability?

❖ Vulnerability refers to the state of being exposed to physical or emotional injuries.

Vulnerable groups are people exposed to possibilities of attack harms or mistreatment. As
a result, vulnerable persons/groups need special attention, protection and support. For
example, children and people with disabilities need special support and protection as they
are exposed to risks and neglect because of their age and disabilities. Universities have
introduced special needs education for students with disabilities to give them special
support.

❖ Being subjected to physical, emotional, or psychological harm or mistreatment. As a result,

vulnerable groups require extra care, protection, and assistance. Children and people with
disabilities, for example, require extra care and protection because they are vulnerable to
harm and neglect due to their age and disabilities.
3. State the difference between sex and gender.

 Gender is referring to the role of male or female in society known as a gender role or an
individual’s concept of themselves or gender identity Gender inequality involves
discrimination on a group of people based on their gender. Gender inequality mainly arises
from socio-cultural norms. The manifestations of gender inequality vary from culture to
culture. Girls and women face negative discrimination in societies across the world.
Women are exposed to social and economic inequalities involving unfair distribution of
wealth income and job opportunities. Gender-based marginalization is a global problem. It
involves exclusion of girls and women from a wide range of opportunities and social

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services. Gender disparities in education are a good example. Girls in developing countries
especially those who live in remote and rural areas are excluded from formal education.

Difference between Sex and Gender

Sex GENDER

 Sex refers to the biological and
physiological differences between males
and females based on their reproductive
structures.
 Sex has two main categories i.e., Male
and Female.
 Sex is determined or inherited by Birth.
 Generally, SEX ROLE cannot be
changed by time and culture. i.e., Only
Women can give birth to children and
only Men can Impregnate.
 Sex is created by the Reproductive
needs, that is a biological feature
 Gender refers to the social, cultural,
behavioral, and emotional differences
between men and women.
 The main categories of Gender are
Masculine and Feminine.
 Gender is influenced by social, cultural,
and behavioral factors.
 Gender is a flexible term and its ROLE
can be changed by Time and culture
Women can perform Men’s Roles (All
social duties of Men) i.e., be a Doctor,
Engineer, etc. Men can also adopt
women’s social duties such as feeding and
caring for kids, etc.
 Gender distinctions are created by social
Norms.

4. What are the factors that encourage early marriage?

 Social norms: Social norms contribute a lot for the continuation of early marriage in
many parts of the world.
 Economic factors are among the major factors that drive child marriage. In many areas
of Ethiopia marriage provides economic security for young girls.
 Factors that tend to facilitate early marriage include family income, family size,
educational level of the father and that of the respondent.
5. State the two harmful practices in the name of cultural relativism that do not support by
Anthropologists.

 Female genital cutting (FGC): Anthropologists do not support FGC for practical
reasons: FGC violates the rights of girls to physical integrity. It has short- and long-term
consequences for the health of girls and women.

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3 Group Assignment of Social Anthropology

 Early/child marriage: Anthropologists do not support early marriage for similar

reasons: Early marriage violates the rights of young girls to make decision about their
future. It destroys their chance to education and personal and professional development.
Early marriage negatively affects their physical and psychological wellbeing.

Assignment of Chapter Five, Six, and Seven

1. What is ethnicity?

 Ethnicity refers to the identification of a group based on a perceived cultural

distinctiveness that makes the group into a “people.” This distinctiveness is believed to
be expressed in language, music, values, art, styles, literature, family life, religion, ritual,
food, naming, public life, and material culture.
Or in other definition

 An ethnic group or ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the
basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups such as a common set
of traditions, ancestry, language, history, society, culture, nation, religion or social
treatment within their residing area.

2. What does ethnic identity mean?

 Extent to which one identifies with a particular ethnic group(s). Refers to one's sense of
belonging to an ethnic group and the part of one's thinking perceptions, feelings, and
behavior that is due to ethnic group membership.
 Ethnic identity is a multidimensional concept that includes self-categorization or
labeling commitment or attachment to a group certain values and beliefs that are
associated with the group and an evaluation of the group which can be positive or
negative. A person’s sense of ethnic group membership, evaluation, and salience of this
membership for personal identity can change over time as a result of exploration and
also in the context of other social and institutional realities.

3. State the three basic anthropological approaches to understanding ethnicity?

 A situational ethnicity is an ethnic identity that is particular to a social setting or context.

The various approaches to understanding ethnicity include primordialism, essentialism,
perennialism, constructivism, modernism and instrumentalism.
 Primordialism Approach Ethnicity is fixed at birth. Ethnic identification is based
on deep primordial attachments to a group or culture.
 Instrumentalist Approach Ethnicity based on people’s historical and symbolic
memory is something created and used and exploited by leaders and others in the
pragmatic pursuit of their own interests.

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4 Group Assignment of Social Anthropology

 Constructivist Approach Ethnic identity is not something people possess but

something they construct in specific social and historical contexts to further their
own interests. It is therefore fluid and subjective.

4. How do you understand, how indigenous how we, a system of governance?

 Indigenous systems of governance have been used to maintain social order across
Ethiopian regions. The role of indigenous governance was indispensable before the
advent of the modern state system. Anthropologists have been studying indigenous
systems of governance in Ethiopia and other parts of Africa. Some of the indigenous
systems of governance have been well- studied while many other are not adequately
studied. Understanding of indigenous systems of governance helps us know our
cultures.
 The Oromo Gadaa the Oromo is one of the well-studies indigenous systems of
governance. Scholars have been studying the Oromo Gaada since the 1950s. Scholars
studied the Oromo Gaada include Paul Baxter Eike Haberland and Asmerom Legesse.
Asmerom a famous anthropologist is widely known for his ethnographic studies on the
Oromo political system. He published a lot on the Gaada system particularly focusing
on the Borena Oromo.
 The Gedeo of southern Ethiopia has an indigenous system of governance called Baalle.
The Baalle and the Gaada system of the Oromo have some similarities. For example,
both have grading system and exercise periodic transfer of power (i.e., every eight
years). The role of religion is high in the two indigenous systems of governance.
Moreover, the customary law of the Gedeo is called Seera the Ya’a, the general
assembly is the highest body of the Gedeo indigenous system of governance.
 The Gamo is among Omotic peoples of southern Ethiopia. Unlike their neighboring
people such as Wolayta and Dawro the Gamo did not have a centralized political system.
The Gamo people were organized into several local administrations locally known as
deres. According to anthropological findings, there were more than 40 deres across the
Gamo highlands. Each dere had its own ka’o (king) and halaqa (elected leader). The
indigenous system of governance embraces the dere woga (customary law) and the
dubusha assemblies.

5. How do you understand Indigenous Knowledge System?

 IKS is defined as technical insight of wisdom gained and developed by people in a

particular locality through years of careful observation and experimentation with the
phenomena around them. IKS is not just a set of information that is in the minds of the
people which can be simply taped and applied. IKS is embodied in culture and is
described as an integrated pattern of human knowledge, beliefs and behavior. It consists
of language, ideas, beliefs, customs, taboos, codes, institutions, tools, techniques,
artifacts, rituals, ceremonies, folklores and gender. This culture is passed down from

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one generation to the next generation and generally it provides a holistic view of how to
use natural resources based on traditional ethical perspectives (Atteh, 1991). Indigenous
knowledge systems (IKS) refer to a body of empirical knowledge and beliefs handed
down through generations of long-time inhabitants of a specific locale, by cultural
transmission, about the relationship of living beings with each other and their
environment (Warren 1991).

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