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Language politics in the Ethiopian university system: A case study of Addis Ababa University
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867614005013512192 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Abiyo, Tesfatsion Dominiko |
| author2 | Hill, Lloyd |
| author_browse | Abiyo, Tesfatsion Dominiko Hill, Lloyd |
| author_facet | Hill, Lloyd Abiyo, Tesfatsion Dominiko |
| author_sort | Abiyo, Tesfatsion Dominiko |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135955 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:45:08.467Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135955 Language politics in the Ethiopian university system: A case study of Addis Ababa University Abiyo, Tesfatsion Dominiko Hill, Lloyd Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Abiyo, T. D. 2026. Language politics in the Ethiopian university system: A case study of Addis Ababa University. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/ad5043e3-4986-40ba-9801-8f3c4c14006c This study explores language politics in Ethiopia, focusing specifically on higher education and Addis Ababa University (AAU). It explores how the politics of language has evolved in the modern (post-1855) state and how this relates to the changing structure and function of the higher education system – notably the university system that developed in the context of post-1991 ethnic federalism. The study took the form of a case study of Addis Ababa University (situated within the post-1991 university system), with predominantly qualitative fieldwork conducted in Addis Ababa from late 2017 to early 2018. The research documented in this thesis is based on the following methods: interviews and focus groups with AAU students; interviews with AAU staff members; interviews with policy makers in the Ministry of Education and the Education Strategy Centre; campus observation; and an analysis of policy document produced by the national government and AAU. The thesis begins with an overview of language politics in the post-1855 modern state, which is subdivided into six key periods: the Abyssinian State (1855-1896); the expanded state / first Ethiopian Empire (1896 to 1936); the Italian Occupation (1936 to 1941); the second Empire / Selassie restauration (1941-1974); the Derg regime (1974-1991); and the EPRDF regime (1991-2019) , i.e. the recent period (to the end of the fieldwork) that is commonly referred to as ethnic federalism. During this post-1855 period we see the development of Amharic as a “national” language, which facilitates the consolidation of the modern state – and empire. Following the collapse of the Empire, in 1974, Amharic remains the dominant national language, but this status is increasingly contested. The politics of language in this recent “national” period (1855-2019) is analysed using Benedict Anderson’s theory of nationalism. More specifically, his concepts of “linguistic nationalism” and “official nationalism” provide a useful lens for exploring national language politics in Ethiopia. The thesis argues that the post-1991 state, or ethnic federalism, can be thought of as “dual nationalism” or a combination of official nationalism and region-level linguistic nationalism. Thinking about ethnic federalism as a form of “dual nationalism” has implications for how we think about the post-1991 development of the Ethiopian higher education system. Ethiopian higher education dates back to the establishment of the University College of Addis Ababa (1950), which later became the University of Addis Ababa. Ethiopia had just two universities before 1991 and this period is therefore described as a proto-higher education system. The period after 1991 sees a significant expansion of higher education infrastructure, which involves: two tiers (universities and colleges); the creation of over 50 new universities; and the massive enrolment of students in regions that previously had no access to higher education. The thesis focuses particular attention on two aspects of the new university system. The first is the “Mini-Ethiopia" policy, whereby centralized enrolment is used to promote national unity and integration by creating university student populations that reflect Ethiopia’s ethnic diversity. The second is a form of “institutional bilingualism”, in terms of which Amharic is designated – in policy document – as the “working language” and English as the “academic language”. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s (1986) concept of “cultural capital”, this arrangement is examined and the analysis reveals a complex hierarchy of language practices and values. The case study reveals how actual language practices diverge from the formal language policies that emerged after 1991. Doctoral 2026-04-16T08:01:28Z 2026-04-16T08:01:28Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135955 en Stellenbosch University 312 pages : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Abiyo, Tesfatsion Dominiko Language politics in the Ethiopian university system: A case study of Addis Ababa University |
| title | Language politics in the Ethiopian university system: A case study of Addis Ababa University |
| title_full | Language politics in the Ethiopian university system: A case study of Addis Ababa University |
| title_fullStr | Language politics in the Ethiopian university system: A case study of Addis Ababa University |
| title_full_unstemmed | Language politics in the Ethiopian university system: A case study of Addis Ababa University |
| title_short | Language politics in the Ethiopian university system: A case study of Addis Ababa University |
| title_sort | language politics in the ethiopian university system a case study of addis ababa university |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135955 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT abiyotesfatsiondominiko languagepoliticsintheethiopianuniversitysystemacasestudyofaddisababauniversity |