Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Homosexuality in Ethiopia

Balcha, Iddo LU (2009) SIMT10 20091
Master of Science in Global Studies
Graduate School
Abstract
Abstract
This paper analyses the concept and the construction of homosexuality in relation to the issue of gender and feminism in Ethiopia. While Female homosexuality is simply overlooked, male homosexuality has been criminalised under Ethiopian law with imprisonment up to three years. The media and the elite has been creating homophobia in discourse and linguistic terms; however, it is the church which has been effectively campaigning for hatred and abhorrence against homosexual persons in the county. My hypothesis is that besides the campaigns by the church and the media, gender relation and the absence of feminism have much to do with the status of homosexuality in the country today. My intention is to understand the concept and the... (More)
Abstract
This paper analyses the concept and the construction of homosexuality in relation to the issue of gender and feminism in Ethiopia. While Female homosexuality is simply overlooked, male homosexuality has been criminalised under Ethiopian law with imprisonment up to three years. The media and the elite has been creating homophobia in discourse and linguistic terms; however, it is the church which has been effectively campaigning for hatred and abhorrence against homosexual persons in the county. My hypothesis is that besides the campaigns by the church and the media, gender relation and the absence of feminism have much to do with the status of homosexuality in the country today. My intention is to understand the concept and the construction of homosexuality by the elite and the church, and how this process has shaped the views ordinary citizens currently hold against homosexuality. By analysing media discourse, earlier empirical studies and primary data from interviews, I have come to the understanding that there is a discrepancy between the concept of homosexuality as defined in the west and the concept of homosexuality in Ethiopia. Homosexuality is the least understood subject because it is mostly viewed as only men’s behaviour or disease, which is contagious due to association. Generally, Female homosexuality is unknown to ordinary citizens, and it is less active than male homosexuality. Despite the oppressive environment however, homosexuality is under transformation from being taboo to the issue of public debate due to attitude change induced by the process of globalisation. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Balcha, Iddo LU
supervisor
organization
course
SIMT10 20091
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Homosexuality, Gender, Feminism, Globalization, Discourse
language
English
id
1411536
date added to LUP
2009-07-02 09:25:07
date last changed
2011-02-28 11:55:06
@misc{1411536,
  abstract     = {{Abstract
This paper analyses the concept and the construction of homosexuality in relation to the issue of gender and feminism in Ethiopia. While Female homosexuality is simply overlooked, male homosexuality has been criminalised under Ethiopian law with imprisonment up to three years. The media and the elite has been creating homophobia in discourse and linguistic terms; however, it is the church which has been effectively campaigning for hatred and abhorrence against homosexual persons in the county. My hypothesis is that besides the campaigns by the church and the media, gender relation and the absence of feminism have much to do with the status of homosexuality in the country today. My intention is to understand the concept and the construction of homosexuality by the elite and the church, and how this process has shaped the views ordinary citizens currently hold against homosexuality. By analysing media discourse, earlier empirical studies and primary data from interviews, I have come to the understanding that there is a discrepancy between the concept of homosexuality as defined in the west and the concept of homosexuality in Ethiopia. Homosexuality is the least understood subject because it is mostly viewed as only men’s behaviour or disease, which is contagious due to association. Generally, Female homosexuality is unknown to ordinary citizens, and it is less active than male homosexuality. Despite the oppressive environment however, homosexuality is under transformation from being taboo to the issue of public debate due to attitude change induced by the process of globalisation.}},
  author       = {{Balcha, Iddo}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Homosexuality in Ethiopia}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}