Making a living in the postsocialist periphery: struggles between farmers and traders in Konso, Ethiopia

Watson, Elizabeth E.

article

Making a living in the postsocialist periphery: struggles between farmers and traders in Konso, Ethiopia

Africa • 76 (1) • Published In 2006 • Pages: 70-87

By: Watson, Elizabeth E..

Abstract
Following the advent of a new Ethiopian government in 1991, the traditional Konso homeland was constituted into an autonomous, self-governing administrative district. This article discusses the local consequences of the new regime’s policy emphasis on democracy, grassroots participation and, to some extent, market liberalization. One of the most important legacies of these policies has been transformation in the social standing and economic fortunes of a class of villagers who earned their living primarily from retail trade. Traditionally, these traders were regarded as an endogamous caste group, subordinate to farmers. The traders took advantage of economic liberalization and external trade links to earn more income, which they invested in buying agricultural land and building roadside commercial houses. This change reconfigured local power relations in favor of traders.

Community structure

Inter-community relations

Ingroup antagonisms

Congregations

Religious intolerance and martyrs

Social relationships and groups

Friendships

Form and rules of government

Citizenship

Real property

Retail marketing

Status, role, and prestige