Bringing experiential educational groups to the United States: an analysis of group development in an international travel and study program

International exchanges and travel and study projects have been gaining popularity in many fields including social work. Embedded in a group context, the success of these initiatives depends heavily on the group process of all members involved. This article analyzes the impact group dynamics have on an international travel and study project that brought 11 doctoral students and their dean from Ethiopia for a one-month experiential education program. A model of group development, which emphasizes behavioral outcomes in groups (forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning), is presented as an organizing framework. The discussion draws on a qualitative analytical study, which revisits Tuckman's model, and proposes a revised model that defines group development stages by individual, group, purpose, and work concerns that drive conflict throughout all group stages. Implications for social work education include de-emphasizing stages of group development, being mindful about what is known about small groups, and improving empirical research and training for leading international groups.     

Politics by numbers: poverty reduction discourse,contestations and regime legitimacy in Ethiopia

There are contradictory statistics about the number of poor people and changes in number of poor people in Ethiopia with statistics ranging from 26 to 86% of the total population in 2013. This paper analyzed how such contradictory statistics feed into national politics focusing on who uses which statistics and based on what justifications of authoritativeness. Drawing from data collected from print newspapers, blogs, websites, published articles, party publications, and interviews with four key informants and combining an actor’s centered discourse analysis (ACDA) with Van Dick’s (1997) approach of identifying and analyzing political discourses, the paper deconstructed the poverty statistics debate in Ethiopia to understand the basic contestations. Synthesis of the data shows that poverty numbers are being used as tools for, and manifestations of, ongoing power struggles in Ethiopia whereby different actors selectively use poverty statistics that promote their political agenda. While doing so, the underlying rationale of actors for choosing one statistics over another was not based on the merit of their preferred set of statistics over the others but on the suitability of the data for their political purpose. As such, the government disregards statistics except its own which portray rapid poverty decline in the country while opposition groups actively use and promote statistics coming from international organizations that depict increasing poverty or a slow rate of reduction of poverty. The paper argues that the underlying cause of such politicization of numbers is linked with the developmental statism ideology of the ruling party in Ethiopia and how it tries to justify its rule in Ethiopia – claiming that it is reducing poverty and bringing development in Ethiopia and therefore should be allowed to continue in power. Therefore, in debating poverty numbers what is being debated is not just the statistics but the legitimacy of the government, hence politics by numbers.     

An examination of some mechanisms underlying externality benefits of girls' schooling

Evidence on the extent of low enrolment and late entry for a sample of rural households in Ethiopia is provided, and two potential sources of education externality benefits for school-age children, parental and neighbourhood education, are examined. The education of parents, most significantly mothers, is found to contribute to children's schooling, as does the education of neighbourhood women. The mechanisms by which such externalities may operate are considered by examining the effects of cognitive and non-cognitive outputs of schooling upon current school enrolment of children. Findings illustrate both the importance of girls' schooling and some challenges for education policy.

Quaker mission in the Nigerian civil war and Ephraim Isaac’s mediation in the Ethiopian civil war: lessons in religious peacebuilding

ABSTRACT

Traditional peacekeeping discourse has ignored the role of religious bodies (or individuals) in conflict resolution, preferring to focus on the activities of skilled diplomats and negotiators. History suggests, however, that not only have religious bodies been engaged in peacebuilding efforts, they have produced some of the most rewarding successes. It is in this connection that the paper examines two notable case studies: the Quaker Mission during the Nigerian Civil War and Ephraim Isaac’s mediation effort during the Eritrea/Ethiopia conflict. Using both primary and secondary sources, a historical and comparative methodology is adopted. It argues that while the case studies differ in many respects, there is a convergence in methods which yielded positive results. The essay concludes that whether acting as a foreign mediator (as in the case of the Nigerian Civil War) or an indigenous one (as in the case of Ethiopia), the religious “tag” they carry gave them an added advantage in the mediatory role they performed. This is more so the case since these bodies demonstrated the spirit of nonpartisanship, empathy, integrity and credibility; all of which are necessities for achieving success in religious peacebuilding.     

Population pressure and dynamics of household livelihoods in an Ethiopian Village: an elaboration of the Boserup-Chayanovian framework

The purpose of this study is to analyse the mechanisms and effects of population pressure on rural livelihood system in South central Ethiopia from 1950 to 2004. In Sub-Sahara Africa population pressure takes two different forms: (1) a pressure on existing household to accommodate a growing number of children (change in household dependency ratio); (2) An increased demand for new livelihood positions in a situation where the total resources available for households may be constrained (change in density ratio). We blended the approaches of Boserup and Chayanov to understand how families make their living when dependency and density ratios change over time. We collected data using a life course and cohort study approaches to capture the dynamics and to compare the past with the present. We found out that livelihood strategies took different forms when both dependency and density ratios were low and when they were on the increase. When both ratios were low livelihood strategies took the form of agricultural extensification and this was due to the relative availability of land. When both ratios were on the increase, livelihood strategies took the forms of agricultural intensification and diversification.

The impact of infant and child death on subsequent fertility in Ethiopia

This paper uses hazard regression models to assess the impact of experienced infant and child mortality on the risk of subsequent conceptions in Ethiopia. The purpose of this paper is to test for the presence of a fertility response to an infant or child death, net of the effects of truncated breastfeeding on fecundity. Using retrospective birth history data from a national survey in Ethiopia, we find a significantly higher risk of a conception in the months following the death of an index child, even after controlling for postpartum amenorrhoea and breastfeeding status. The fertility response is strongest after the death of the fourth or fifth child, which is when most women in Ethiopia are at or near their desired family size. However, we find no evidence of a fertility response to the death of a nonindex child. We attribute the higher risk of a conception following an index child’s death to the intentional efforts of couples to reduce the waiting time to a next birth and thereby replace the deceased child. However, absent evidence of replacement fertility in response to the death of older nonindex children, we interpret the response to the death of an index child as an emotional response to child loss rather than a conscious strategy to meet a fertility target.

The Role of Stakeholders in Improving Management Practices of Urban Green Infrastructure in Southern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

The study aims to examine the role of stakeholders in the management practices of urban green infrastructure (UGI) in Southern Ethiopia. Key informant interview, focus group discussion and household survey were used to collect data. Majority of the respondents confirmed that beautification, shading and cooling effects and storm water management are the main reasons to develop UGI. However, there is a significant variation in the participation of stakeholders in managing UGI. This is due to lack of awareness, policy and poor coordination. The study recommends an interconnected decision-making activity is needed to ensure the sustainable improvement of the urban environment.     

An Ethnography of Social Assistance to Ethiopian Children by Non‐governmental Organizations: Types,Adequacy and Predictability

Although in Africa social assistance is provided by both state and non‐state actors, systematic research has paid little attention to the aggregate services provided by the latter. This is so despite the significance of the aggregate size, diversity, investment and coverage of the services provided by non‐state actors in the continent. This article reports on an ethnographic assessment of the nature of aggregate social assistance services provided to Ethiopian children by non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) in Africa, taking the cases of services provided by 38 NGOs that run 52 social protection interventions in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa. Data collection employed semi‐structured interviews with officers of the 38 NGOs and exploratory interviews with 25 key informants. Analysis of the ethnographic data revealed that social assistance by NGOs was insufficient, unpredictable, erratic and of inferior quality and, hence, failed to meet the conditions that could make social assistance an effective instrument for breaking the intergenerational transmission of poverty. The analysis also revealed that the same social assistance was not large enough to undermine recipients' commitment to work. The article concludes by recommending the establishment of a social welfare system in Ethiopia that can effectively regulate social assistance in order to ensure the quality of design and implementation, and the integration of discreet social assistance projects.     

‘Going Out’ or Staying In? The Expansion of Chinese NGOs in Africa

This article examines the overseas behaviour of Chinese non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) in two African nations, Ethiopia and Malawi, with varying political regime types. Our findings suggest that, irrespective of regime type, Chinese NGOs have yet to make a substantial impact in either nation. We argue that, despite the strength of the Chinese state and high levels of international development assistance given, domestic politics and regulatory frameworks in host nations still matter a great deal. Our study suggests that the Chinese model of international development will continue to be one in which temporary one‐off projects are favoured; and, insofar as social organisations will play a role, they will be in the domain of government‐organised NGOs rather than grassroots NGOs.