Marxist Modern: An Ethnographic History of the Ethiopian RevolutionModernity has become a keyword in a number of recent intellectual discussions. In this book, Donald L. Donham shows that similar debates have long occurred, particularly among peoples located on the margins of world power and wealth. Based on extensive fieldwork in Ethiopia—conducted over a twenty-year period—Marxist Modern provides a cultural history of the Ethiopian revolution that highlights the role of modernist ideas. Moving between the capital, Addis Ababa, and Maale, the home of a small ethnic group in the south, Donham constructs a narrative of upheaval and change, presenting local people's understandings of events, as these echoed with and appropriated stories of other world revolutions. With the help of poststructuralist insights and theories of narrative, Donham locates a recurrent dialectic between modernist Marxism, local Maale traditionalisms, and antimodernist, evangelical Christianity. One of the most consequential outcomes of this interaction—until the late 1980s—was the creation of a more powerful state, one that penetrated peasant communities ever more deeply and pervasively. Combining sophisticated theory with fascinating ethnographic detail, this study contributes to the theory of revolution as well as the study of modernity. In doing so, it seeks to integrate ethnography and history in a new way. |
Contents
Revolution as a Return to Tradition in Maale | 59 |
The Dialectic of Modernity in a North American | 82 |
The Cultural Construction of Conversion in Maale | 102 |
Afterword Afterward | 177 |
MAPS | 200 |
217 | |
Other editions - View all
Marxist Modern: An Ethnographic History of the Ethiopian Revolution Donald L. Donham Limited preview - 1999 |
Marxist Modern: An Ethnographic History of the Ethiopian Revolution Donald L. Donham Limited preview - 1999 |
Marxist Modern: An Ethnographic History of the Ethiopian Revolution Donald Lewis Donham Limited preview - 1999 |
Common terms and phrases
Addis Ababa Africa Amhara Andargachew Anthropology Arba Minch arrested Artamu asked awraja Bako Bala became began believers Bible brother Bushkoro cadre century Chicago chief of Bala conversion cultural Danyi David Ottaway Derg Donald Donham Dulbo early elders elite Emperor EPRP Ethiopian Orthodox Church Ethiopian Revolution ethnic evangelical Christians Fargher father field notes governor groups Haile Selassie Heywet Ibid imperial International Archives Interview Irbano Irbo Jinka kati Koibe Lambie Lambie's land Lefort lived Maale chiefs Maale kings Maaleland Maja Makana Marina and David Marxism Marxism-Leninism Mengistu Haile Mariam military missionaries modern modernist narrative nation northern officials organized Orthodox Christian Ottolo party peasant association region religion revolutionary ritual Selassie's social Somalia southern Ethiopia Soviet Union story Sudan Interior Mission Sulunge Taddesse Teferi tion Tolba Tonna took traditional traditionalists Transformation and Continuity Walamo Welaita evangelists woreda York zemecha students Ziso