The Sociocultural Constructs Of Secular Time And Labour Among The Christian Farmers Of Tigray, Ethiopia
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Gezae Haile
Abstract
This study investigates the sociocultural constructs of secular time and labor as perceived by Christian farmers in rural Tigray, Ethiopia. The central objective is to uncover the factors that influence these farmers’ heritage value orientations and attitudes towards secular time and labor. A combination of structured and unstructured interviews, focus group discussions, and observational methods were employed to collect data. The data were systematically analyzed through both qualitative and quantitative lenses. The findings indicate that Christian farmers in the study area hold a modest esteem for labor and the judicious use of time for secular ends. Furthermore, it is evident that their secular outlook is deeply intertwined with their broader heritage life philosophy. These farmers prioritize “the afterlife” over the present, leading to a diminished existential significance of the “here and now” within their socio-economic framework of time. The research identifies several key factors contributing to the knowledge gap among Christian farmers: the dominant authority of the church, the lack of a robust secular authority, insufficient dissemination of accurate information about the physical world and human capabilities, and a limited understanding of the constraints imposed by ancient heritage myths. Consequently, it is evident that the prevailing sociocultural constructs of time adversely affect the economic productivity and overall livelihoods of the Christian farmers.
Zusammenfassung
Die empirische Studie untersucht die soziokulturellen Konzepte von säkularer Zeit und säkularer Arbeit, wie sie von christlichen Bauern in der ländlichen Region Tigray in Äthiopien verstanden werden. Die verschiedenen Faktoren, die die Wertorientierungen dieser Bauern und ihre Einstellung zu säkularer Zeit und säkularer Arbeit beeinflussen, werden analysiert. Die Datenerhebung kombiniert in einem Mixed-Methods-Ansatz Einzelinterviews, Fokusgruppendiskussionen und Beobachtungsmethoden. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass christliche Landwirte im Untersuchungsgebiet Arbeit und sinnvolle Zeitverwendung für weltliche Zwecke wertschätzen. Ihre Weltanschauung ist eng mit ihrer allgemeinen Lebensphilosophie verbunden. Die Landwirte räumen dem „Leben nach dem Tod“ Vorrang vor der Gegenwart ein, was zu einer geringeren existenziellen Bedeutung des „Hier und Jetzt“ führt. Die Studie identifiziert mehrere Schlüsselfaktoren, die zu einer Wissenslücke unter christlichen Landwirten beitragen: die vorherrschende Autorität der Kirche, das Fehlen einer soliden säkularen Autorität, die unzureichende Verbreitung genauer Informationen über die physische Welt und die menschlichen Fähigkeiten sowie ein begrenztes Verständnis der Zwänge, die durch die alten Mythen des Erbes auferlegt werden. Die vorherrschenden Zeitvorstellungen wirken sich negativ auf die wirtschaftliche Produktivität und den Lebensunterhalt der christlichen Landwirte aus.
© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
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- The Sociocultural Constructs Of Secular Time And Labour Among The Christian Farmers Of Tigray, Ethiopia
- Book Reviews
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Boundary Crossing
- Research Report
- Christian Practical Theology and Islam: Disciplinary Intersections and Opportunities for Growth
- International Report
- In Search of Dialogical Partners for Asian Practical Theology
- Practice What We Teach: Academic Leadership in Times of Crisis
- The Paradoxical Concept of “Body” as Social Relation: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Corinth and an Indigenous Community in Lermatang, Maluku, Indonesia
- Sa Awa ng Diyos (Through God’s Mercy): Investigating the Family and Faith Lives of Left-Behind Fathers
- Koinonia through commensality?
- Forgiveness before its time: A theological reflection on the practice of forgiveness as experienced by Christian women survivors of sexual violence trauma
- Is the Machine Surpassing Humans?
- Preaching and Generative AI: A Perspective from Early 2024
- Who Is Interested (or Not) in Church-Administered Lifecycle Rituals?
- The Sociocultural Constructs Of Secular Time And Labour Among The Christian Farmers Of Tigray, Ethiopia
- Book Reviews
- Julia Feder, Incarnating Grace: A Theology of Healing from Sexual Trauma, New York, NY (Fordham University Press) 2023, 240 pp., ISBN 978–1531504724, $30.
- Choi Hee An, A Postcolonial Relationship: Challenges of Asian Immigrants as the Third Other, Albany, NY (SUNY Press) 2022, 181pp., ISBN 9781438486574, $99.
- Chris A. M. Hermans, Kobus Schoeman (Eds.), Resilient Religion, Resilience and Heartbreaking Adversity, Berlin (LIT VERLAG) 2023, 195 pp., ISBN 978-3-643-91500-9 (pb), $49.38.
- Kristin Merle, Manuel Stetter, Katharina Krause (Eds.), Prekäres Wissen. Praktische Theologie im Horizont postkolonialer Theorien, Leipzig (Evangelische Verlagsanstalt) 2024, 496 pp., ISBN 978-3-374-07604-8, 118 €.
