Eessatti Mucucaanne? The Oromo Social Fabric under Challenge: Evidence from the Jawi Oromo of Horro Guduru Wallagga Zone (19th century to 2024)

Abstract

The Jawi Oromo of North-eastern Wallagga has recently experienced a serious social
fragmentation. Individual-centred, hedonistic, and nihilistic views and practices have
gravely affected the preexisting communal livelihood of the Oromo people. This article
attempts to explore the causes that led to the erosion and change of the communal life
social fabric among the Jawi Oromo of the Horro-Guduru-Wallagga Zone. Drawing on
historical sources, the study employs qualitative methods. It is framed by Social
Cohesion Theory and Institutional Change Theory to provide insights into how social
bonds and shared values that maintain unity could end in fragmentation over time. The
outcome of the study reveals that the erosion of the Oromo social fabric stems from age
old external and internal underlying factors. In addition to the cultural imperialism that
systematically cracked social glues, the growing individual- and materialist-oriented
living style has undermined the Oromo views, practices, and institutions of social
cohesion. In response to these challenges, the study underscores the vitality of rebuilding
indigenous social institutions that were once the cultural foundations and the „living
tissue‟ of the Jawi Oromo. The study recommends a rigorous cultural renaissance
movement for sustainable social bonds and cultural pride among the Oromo. This
cultural renaissance is imperative for fostering a resilient, just, and cohesive society in
the face of modern individualist world.