京都大学大学院アジア・アフリカ地域研究研究科 COSER Center for On-Site Education and Research 附属次世代型アジア・アフリカ教育研究センター
京都大学大学院アジア・アフリカ地域研究研究科
フィールドワーク・レポート

Can tourism be a sustainable livelihood diversification option? A case study of South Omo Zone, Ethiopia

Photo Exhibition, Jinka University, August 2019

Research background

  As part of a follow-up of a comparative case study to assess the significance of cultural tourism on the livelihood of local people at destinations, I conducted fieldwork from 31 July to 30 September 2019. Fieldwork has been taking place since 2017 in South Ari woreda (a peri-urban village) and in Salamago woreda (Mursi villages in the Lower Omo Valley of Southwestern Ethiopia).
  During this research period, the plan was to carry out three main tasks. The first task was to consolidate the outcome of the research undertaken so far. The second task was to undertake a quantitative subjective wellbeing/quality of life survey on the perception of local people engaged in cultural tourism in the two research sites, based on a Likert-scale questionnaire survey. The third task was to hold an exhibition to display a participatory photo and video footage done by the research participants using Visual Research Methodology (VRM).

Research purpose

  The objective of this research was to assess the significance of cultural tourism on the livelihood of the local people from their perspective.

Photo taken by a VRM participant, Ms Narugo Chagnoyeale, 2019

Results/Achievements

1. One of the areas of focus of the research was to identify what drives local people to choose their livelihood strategies, in this case, cultural tourism as a diversification strategy. So far, one main factor that the local people reported at both research sites indicates that their livelihood vulnerabilities drive them to opt for alternative opportunities to earn cash in order to close the gap. In both cases, vulnerability factors are from external shocks (such as rainfall vulnerability) that expose local people to drought and pest infestation, as well as internal stressors that are related to pre-existing socio-economic stressors (Chambers, 1989). As a result, it was found that much of the cash earned from cultural tourism at both sites is spent on foodstuffs. In Mursi, which is an agro-pastoral community, 57% of the 37 people interviewed said that they used the cash they earned from tourism to purchase grain and 27% said they used it for medical purposes. In the peri-urban South Ari village interviews with all households engaged in a local cultural tourism initiative (11 households), 90% said they used the cash earned from cultural tourism to buy foodstuffs.

2. As planned, 100 respondents from both research sites participated in a Likert-scale survey to find out the perceptions of the local people on subjective wellbeing (quality of life) in order to determine the effect of cultural tourism on the local people’s wellbeing. Thirteen questionnaires were categorised into four life-satisfaction domains based on Cummings’ (1997) life satisfaction categories: Material Wellbeing, Community Wellbeing, Emotional Wellbeing, and Health and Safety Wellbeing.
  Results: The responses were based on a five-point scale (1 to 5) as follows: (1) Very Dissatisfied, (2) Dissatisfied, (3) Medium, (4) Satisfied, and (5) Very Satisfied. The respondents from the peri-urban village in South Ari woreda showed an average of overall life satisfaction of 2.9, compared to an average of 4.1 in Mursi. This means that the local people in the peri-urban South Ari village indicated less satisfaction (within the range of ‘dissatisfied’), and the local people in Mursiland indicated satisfaction (within the range of ‘satisfied’). Between categories, the village in South Ari revealed the lowest satisfaction, with an average of 2.2 under ‘material wellbeing’, which comprises basic needs (food, shelter, and clothing) satisfaction, as well as the satisfaction with income received from tourism. Similarly, for Mursi, the lowest satisfaction was on their material wellbeing, but with an average of 3.9. This result is consistent with the interviews, where local people revealed that due to the vulnerability in their livelihood, cash from tourism was a means to close the gap. Moreover, they could not ignore the amount received, albeit meagre, as it helped them to meet their daily needs.

3. Nine photographers from both research sites exhibited the result of their participatory photo and video footage based on VRM. The exhibition ‘Through the Eyes Gazed’ took place at Jinka University on 30 August 2019. Only three photographers attended because of the security in Mursi, and 73 people from relevant governmental bodies and institutions, such as the Zonal Administration, the staff of the Zonal Tourism Office, University staff, and the local guide association, attended the event. A photo book was also prepared.

Plans for further research

  The next step will be to work on my final thesis based on the data gathered so far.

References

【1】Chambers, R. and Conway, G. 1992. Sustainable rural livelihoods: practical concepts for the 21st century. IDS discussion paper, 296. Brighton: IDS.
【2】Cummins, R. A. 1997. The domain of life satisfaction: an attempt to order chaos. Social Indicator Research, 38, 303-328

  • レポート:Azeb Girmai(Year of enrollment: AY2017)
  • 派遣先国:Ethiopia
  • 渡航期間: July 31st, 2019 - September 18th, 2019
  • キーワード:Cultural Tourism, Vulnerability, Visual Research Methodology

関連するフィールドワーク・レポート

東南アジアにおけるイスラーム市場の発展――マレーシアを事例として――

対象とする問題の概要  21世紀以降マレーシアではハラール認証制度の普及やムスリム消費者層の中流化が起こり、イスラーム市場というものが変容している。イスラーム市場というものは、ハラールマークだけでは語ることができないものである。しかし、現在…

住民組織から見る、ジャカルタ首都圏における空間政治

対象とする問題の概要  インドネシアにはRT・RWと呼ばれる住民主体の近隣地区自治組織(以後、住民組織)がある。日本軍占領下時代に導入された隣組から行政の延長として整備された住民組織は、30年以上続いたスハルト開発独裁体制の最末端を担った。…

バカ・ピグミーの乳幼児の愛着行動

対象とする問題の概要  狩猟採集民研究は、人類進化の再構成を試みるための手がかりを提供しうる。しかし、狩猟採集民の文化は多様であり、それゆえ人間の社会のアーキタイプを議論する上で様々な論争がなされてきた。そのような例の一つとして愛着理論にか…

ナミビア北中部におけるサンとオバンボの土地利用を巡る関係に関する研究

対象とする問題の概要  世界各地ではさまざまな先住民問題が発生しているが、中でも「土地」に関する問題はよく争点となっている。南部アフリカ一帯で遊動生活をしてきた狩猟採集民サンは、アフリカ地域における土地問題のでもとりわけ注目されてきた存在で…