The past creates the present: the origin, scope, and influence of Ethiopian sociology

ABSTRACT

The historical development of Ethiopian sociology was traced from 1951 with the influence of western sociologists. It does not mean that no native sociologists could create a new Ethiopian sociological thinking; however, these perspectives could not rampant worldly due to cultural, economic, social, political, and environmental encumbrances. Due to such factors, Western sociologists have been not only influenced to create sociological researches and development but also create a new country’s national identity so far in Ethiopia, especially for Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim’s philosophical beliefs. In sum, there is no clear-cut school of sociology in Ethiopia. Some scholars have followed up France School of Sociology and the other one frequently performed the premises of the German School of Sociology. In my observation, the Ethiopian sociologists have rigorously executed both schools of Sociologies after the colonialism period.

KEYWORDS:

• Western sociologists
• origin
• scope
• influence
• Ethiopian sociology
• development

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Nahom Eyasu Alemu

Nahom Eyasu Alemu is an Assistant Professor and researcher of Sociology at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia. His research focuses on governmental as well as societal responses to violence against persons with disabilities and emphasizes advancing societal systems through collaborative roles and multidisciplinary endeavors. Besides, his research interests have focused on violence against women and girls, social determinants of health, gender equality, and mixed research methods. Since he has published a plethora of papers in internationally renowned journals, such as Journal of Interpersonal Violence, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, and so forth, he is invited as a peer reviewer of Psychology of Women Quarterly (Sage journal), Qualitative Health Research (Sage journal), Population Health (Elsevier), Annals of Family Medicine, and International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy (Emerald). Currently, he has been awarded as the Best Researcher in the 2020/2021 academic year at College of Social Sciences Humanities, University of Gondar, Ethiopia.