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Anthropology Chapter 4
Anthropology Chapter 4
▪ The nature and level of marginalization varies from society to society as a result of
cultural diversity.
▪ Religious, ethnic, and racial minorities are also among social groups marginalized in
different societies and cultures.
▪ Crafts workers such as tanners (one that tans hides), potters, and ironsmiths are
marginalized in many parts of Ethiopia.
▪ In most cases, minority groups are different from the majority population in
terms of race, religion, ethnicity, and language. For example, black Americans are
minorities in the United States of America. Christians could be minorities in a
Muslim majority country. Muslims can be minorities in a predominantly Hindu
society. Hence, minority groups can be ethnic minorities, religious minorities, or
racial minorities in a given community, region of country.
• Girls in developing countries, especially those who live in remote and rural areas, are
excluded from formal education.
• The enrollment of girls in higher education is much lower than that of boys. Women do not
enjoy equal employment opportunities. They do not have equal rights in terms of property
ownership and inheritance.
• Women and girls are also vulnerable to gender-based violence such as rape, early/child
marriage, abduction/forced marriage, domestic violence and female genital
cutting/mutilation.
II. Uncircumcised girls would be disobedient (noncompliant), powerful and ill-mannered. In some
parts of Ethiopia, people believe that uncircumcised girls tend to destroy household utensils.
III. There is a widely held belief that uncircumcised girls are promiscuous (immoral) because they
have high sexual drive. Some people believe that marriage to uncircumcised girls/women would
not be stable and long-lasting.
IV. FGC is also considered as a means of preserving girls’ virginity, which is considered as a
precondition for marriage in some cultures.
✓ Social exclusion and marginalization: Community members would exclude uncut girls and women from a
wide range of social relations and interactions.
✓ Gossip (talk, chat) and insult: community members, including peer groups, boys, women and men, put
pressure on uncircumcised girls and their parents through gossiping and insulting.
✓ In some parts of Ethiopia, men do not marry uncircumcised girls. As a result, uncircumcised girls are
excluded from marriage opportunities and love relationships.
✓ In some parts of the country, people do not eat food cooked by uncircumcised girls. Uncircumcised
girls/women are not also allowed to join other people for prayer. This is because uncut girls are labeled as
impure.
• Factors encouraging early marriage: According to study findings, there are various factors
that drive early marriage. Social norms and economic factors are the two major drivers of the
practice.
• Social norms: Social norms contribute a lot for the continuation of early marriage in many
parts of the world. Chastity (the state of not having sex with anyone) of girls is one of the
social norms that influence parents and relatives to protecting girls from pre-marital sex.
• The value attached to virginity is another driver of early marriage. Girl’s reputation
(character, standing) and family social status are associated with sexual purity of girls.
• Crafts workers lead a life of paradoxes (contradiction). They have important contributions to their
communities; however, they are marginalized by the dominant and majority groups.
• For examples, weavers produce cultural clothes highly demanded by thousands and millions of
people. Many people use cultural clothes during annual celebrations, religious holidays,
weddings, culture days, and mourning (sorrow). The demand of cultural dresses has been
increasing in the last three decades. People dress cultural clothes in different occasions such as
cultural festivals, days of nations and nationalities, and religious celebrations.
• Despite their contributions, weavers are marginalized from the wider society.
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• Ironsmiths are among occupational groups marginalized in many cultural settings
in Ethiopia.
• Ironsmiths make and repair iron articles without using machines. They contribute
a lot especially in rural areas. Ironsmiths serve rural communities by producing
farming tools such as plough shares, sickles, and hoes. Ethiopia families widely
use household utensils (e.g., knives and axes) made by ironsmiths.
• Tanners make leather products that serve community members. Potters produce
pottery articles essential for food processing and serving and fetching water.
• For example, children and older people (people aged 60 and above) are exposed
to possibilities of attack, harm and mistreatment because of their age.
• Children are among vulnerable groups exposed to harm because of their age.
• Both boys and girls are exposed to some harm and abuse in the hands of older people.
However, girls are exposed to double marginalization and discrimination because of the
gender.
• Child girls are exposed to various kinds of harm before they reach at the age of maturity.
As discussed earlier in this chapter, girls are exposed to HTPs such as female genital
cutting. Minor girls are also exposed to early/child marriage in many parts of Ethiopia.
• Early/child marriage: Early marriage refers to marriage which involves girls below the
age of 18.
• Rural-urban migration, changes in values and life style, education and new
employment opportunities lead to so many changes.
• Care and support for older people tend to decline as younger people migrate to
urban areas and exposed to economic pressure and new life styles.
• Older people are exposed to social exclusion because of their lower social and
economic status. In most cases, older people are excluded from social, cultural,
political and economic interactions in their communities.
• Older persons are marginalized because they are considered as social burden
rather than social assets. Communities do not provide older persons with
opportunities to contribute to their communities.
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4.5. Religious and ethnic minorities
• Religious and ethnic minorities groups also face different forms of
• According to Abdu Hasnat Milton et al (2017), the Rohingya are ‘one of the most ill-treated and
persecuted refugee groups in the world’. In recent years, more than half-a-million Rohingyas fled
from their homes in Nyanmar to neighboring countries such as Bangladesh. As people living in
refugee camps, the Rohingyas are vulnerable to problems such as malnutrition and physical and
sexual abuse.
• These are among the widely known examples of discrimination against religious and ethnic
minorities. The problem is not limited to specific areas, regions or countries. Although the level of
the problem varies in different contexts, religious and ethnic minorities face different forms of
discrimination in many parts of the world.
• The major human rights conventions denounce discrimination against women, children,
people with disability, older people and other minority and vulnerable groups.
• People with disabilities have the right to inclusive services and equal opportunities. The
human rights of women and girls include right to be free from harmful traditional practices
such as forced marriage, early marriage, and female genital cutting.
• Any form of discrimination, exclusion, and gender-based violence also violate the human
rights of girls and women.