PhD defence Abreham Alemu Fanta: Ethnicity and Local Identity in the Folklore of the South-western Oromo of Ethiopia

Abreham Alemu Fanta will defend his PhD thesis, entitled Ethnicity and Local Identity in the Folklore of the South-western Oromo of Ethiopia: a Comparative Study at the VU University Amsterdam. ASC senior researcher Jan Abbink is his PhD supervisor.

You are all very welcome.

Abstract
This thesis is a comparative study of folkloric constructions and expressions of ethnic and local identity among the southwestern Oromo (Macha) of Ethiopia, a complex multiethnic state. The focus is on identification, documentation, description and sub-group-oriented comparative analysis of folklore genres, specifically oral narratives – seen as local discourses of, and on, local groups and collective action. This perspective allowed new insights into the issue of local identity and relations between Oromo (sub-) groups. The core assumption was that, from an internal perspective, there are perceived local boundaries, differentiating one’s own group from those of "Others", both within and outside the larger regional ethno-grouping. Both unity and difference are expressed in folkloric products, showing constructed local boundaries, self-definitions and sub-group identifications. The thesis attests to the rich and varied oral heritage of the western Oromo as well as to their internal discourses and dialogues about ‘who they are’.