Dynamics of constructing belongingness. An interplay between genealogy and tradition in constructing identities: a Sidama example

Abstract

The article explores the various ways of identification among the Sidama people of Ethiopia. It shows how various narratives about common origin are constructed and feed into the process of identification. It also presents how an identity could be changed with a framework of tradition giving a completely different affiliation with other clan groups. The research employed an extended ethnographic fieldwork in order to understand the processes of ethnic identification among the Sidama.