Ethiopian Journal of Business and Social Sciences

Repressive State Apparatus in mɨnkuħkʷaħ zəjfɨlləjo maʕs’o: An Ethiopian Political Novel

Tsegaberhan Wodaj — 2025-07-21

The question of ideology is crucial to African literature because it reflects the historical circumstances of the society and lets society perceive the nature of its ideology at a certain time. It is accurate to state that literature, whether directly or indirectly, is an expression of the concept of ideology. Thus, the purpose of this article is to examine the repressive state infrastructure and ideology in a particular Tigrigna political fiction. The researcher used a qualitative and textual research approach and analysis because the study was centered on a literary work. This paper's primary focus is a detailed analysis of the oppressive machinery employed by the previous administrations. This work is important because it introduces other scholars to the idea of ideology and how it is portrayed socio-politically in novels. Althusser's Repressive State Apparatus served as the theoretical foundation for this investigation. As components of the repressive state apparatus, the police, the court, the prison, and the administrators were recognized as the main categories of the repressive apparatus in the novel.

The Contribution of Urban Socio-spatial Planning for Urban Pre-school Infrastructure Challenges: in the Context of Rapid Urbanization in Addis Ababa

Tsiyon Ermyas Helesabo — 2025-07-22

This study assessed the role of urban socio-spatial planning for urban pre-school infrastructure space challenges. The study analysed policy, institutional and practice gaps in the context of rapidly urbanizing city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A total of two private and two public pre-schools were selected from two sub cities/woredas in Addis Ababa as cases. Employing qualitative case study design, both primary and secondary sources were consulted. The primary data was collected from in-depth interview. 26 participants were selected using purposive sampling technique from urban planning and children education sectors, based on the study selection criteria. The secondary data was collected from policy documents of urban planning policies, proclamations and articles, pre-school education policies, ECCE and implementation reports, academic literatures and theoretical perspectives on child education as well as scholar findings on the analytical theme. The data analysis technique was discourse thematic data analysis approach. The study found that, lack of quality preschool practice in public and private contexts suffered lack of sufficient built school environment. The planning policy requirements for preschool environment and ECCE are not implementing rather remained as policy. Lack of institutional cooperation and accountability in both sectors made preschools dysfunctional. Lack of awareness of their roles exposed preschools to operate in poor quality environment. The study concluded that, preschools facilities need intervention from socio-spatial planning to create healthy environment for children. Learning environment brings lasting impact on children emotional, mental, psychological, academic and social capabilities. Thus, healthy infants’ early learning and development require adequate built environment.

Quantification of Land Use Change Impact on Ecosystem Service Value in Southern Ethiopian Rift Valley Lakes Basin at Biodiversity Hotspot Area

mohmmed Seid — 2025-07-22

ABSTRACT

Quantifying the Ecosystem Services Value(ESV) is essential to make socioeconomic activities environmentally sustainable in Ethiopia, where natural ecosystems are deteriorating, including in Protected Areas(PAs) due to increased anthropogenic pressures, Although ESV studies show progress, ESV coefficients for ecosystem services (ES) in Ethiopia have not yet been established. This study is the first to develop equivalent factors at the national level and coefficients at the district level for 23 ES types, following a unit value approach. It also quantified the total ESV and changes therein linked with land use change observed in Nechsar National Park between 2002 and 2040. Different datasets: land use/cover, ES valuation, empirical ESV studies, per unit area price of food crops, ESV of cultivated land for food production services, various statistical formulas, geospatial tools, price standardization indices and difference adjustment indices (ecological, economic, and social) were used in different steps of the study. The results (<0.5) of the sensitivity analysis indicated that the developed coefficients are adequately reliable to estimate ESV along with the area of land types in the study area. The results showed that NNP has experienced a continued reduction in its total ESV with US$ 4.08x10⁶ and 1.01x10⁶ net loss in the first- and second-time intervals, respectively. Forest land and woodland are the leading resources to provide essential ES. For 67.93% reduction in total ESV was attributed to the land loss from these land types from 2002 to 2020. Apart from the magnitude, the direction of land transitions considerably affects the spatiotemporal change/gain and loss/ ESV. The study provides site-specific and long-term evidence that can help stakeholders to understand the consequences of LUC, resolve interest conflicts over land use, and implement practicable interventions.

Keywords: ecosystem service flow, Net gain, equivalent coefficient

The Determinants of Cooperative level Performance Variability among Agricultural Cooperatives in Gamo Zone, South Ethiopia Region

Amanuel Shewa — 2025-08-26

This study was to explore the performance of agricultural cooperatives in South Ethiopia Region. To achieve these objectives the data were collected from sample cooperatives (46) in Gamo Zone through interview schedules, key informant interviews and reviewing audit reports. Descriptive and inferential statistical data analysis methods were employed including Tobit model regression. The result shows that 41.3% of sampled cooperatives had not marketed grain crop and had no profit report last year. Eight variables found to affect financial and grain marketing performance. Age of the chairperson, distance to the cooperative Office, and total assets negatively affect financial performance at less than 5%, 5% and 10% significance levels respectively while the leadership experience of a chairperson, serving only members, union membership, availability of storage, and frequency of audit positively and significantly affect at less than 5% significance level except for union membership which affects at less than 10% significance level. Leadership experience of the chairperson, serving only members, union membership and capital asset positively and significantly affect grain marketing performance. This research is limited to agricultural cooperatives and may lack strength for generalizing to other cooperatives and researchers need to research further. Encouraging primary cooperatives to join unions, frequent audits, serving members with diverse service portfolios and developing storage facility will improve performance. This paper fulfils an identified need to study performance of agricultural cooperatives and ways of improving their performance.

The Ethiopic (Ge'ez) Text of ʾArbāʿtuʾEnsēsā (፬ቱ እንስሳ): A Philological Edition

Hailay Tesfay Gebremariam — 2025-08-26

This manuscript presents a philological edition of the Ethiopic (Ge'ez) text of ʾArbāʿtuʾEnsēsā, commonly translated as "The Four Living Creatures." This significant religious and liturgical text, central to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, details the celestial beings described in Ezekiel's vision and Revelation, playing a crucial role in Ethiopian Christian cosmology and worship. Despite its prominence, a comprehensive critical edition based on a wide array of manuscripts remains largely absent in international scholarship. This study aims to fill this lacuna by providing a detailed methodology for establishing a critical text, identifying significant textual variants, and discussing their implications for understanding the work's transmission history, theological development, and linguistic features. The edition collates readings from diverse manuscript traditions, assesses their historical and linguistic value, and offers a reconstructed Ge'ez text alongside a critical apparatus. This philological undertaking sheds light on the dynamic textual life of ʾArbāʿtuʾEnsēsā, offering insights into scribal practices, theological interpretations, and the enduring vitality of Ethiopic literary heritage.