Some Popular and Quotable Ethiopian Emblems in Their Communicative Situations
This ethnographic paper explores the role of emblematic gestures in urban Ethiopian communication, offering an in-depth analysis of hand, head, and facial actions within socially defined contexts. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of *habitus*, the paper examines how these non-verbal signs are culturall...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Amharic |
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Institute of Ethiopian Studies
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Ethiopian Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://ejol.aau.edu.et/index.php/JES/article/view/11164 |
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| author | Augustine Agwuele |
| author_facet | Augustine Agwuele |
| author_sort | Augustine Agwuele |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This ethnographic paper explores the role of emblematic gestures in urban Ethiopian communication, offering an in-depth analysis of hand, head, and facial actions within socially defined contexts. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of *habitus*, the paper examines how these non-verbal signs are culturally situated, reflecting shared social practices and adaptive responses to changing social dynamics. By identifying and annotating popular gestures, the study highlights the interpretive frameworks that underpin their meanings, emphasizing their cultural rootedness and situational variability. The analysis also cross-references Ethiopian emblems with analogous gestures from Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, identifying areas of pragmatic overlap and cultural divergence. This comparative approach underscores the polysemous nature of non-verbal signs, illustrating how meaning is co-constructed in communicative events and shaped by context. The paper proposes that these gestures, as part of the people’s habitude, are context-dependent forms of communication that reflect deeper cultural values and social practices, offering insights into how meaning is produced, interpreted, and adapted in everyday life. In doing so, it offers a more nuanced understanding of how embodied practices contribute to interactional dynamics within urban Ethiopian settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-86decdb02fe942b6afa2a7f1b58fb354 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0304-2243 3007-4088 |
| language | Amharic |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Institute of Ethiopian Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Ethiopian Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-86decdb02fe942b6afa2a7f1b58fb3542025-08-20T03:48:31ZamhInstitute of Ethiopian StudiesJournal of Ethiopian Studies0304-22433007-40882025-01-0157213411167Some Popular and Quotable Ethiopian Emblems in Their Communicative SituationsAugustine Agwuele0Texas State UniversityThis ethnographic paper explores the role of emblematic gestures in urban Ethiopian communication, offering an in-depth analysis of hand, head, and facial actions within socially defined contexts. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of *habitus*, the paper examines how these non-verbal signs are culturally situated, reflecting shared social practices and adaptive responses to changing social dynamics. By identifying and annotating popular gestures, the study highlights the interpretive frameworks that underpin their meanings, emphasizing their cultural rootedness and situational variability. The analysis also cross-references Ethiopian emblems with analogous gestures from Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, identifying areas of pragmatic overlap and cultural divergence. This comparative approach underscores the polysemous nature of non-verbal signs, illustrating how meaning is co-constructed in communicative events and shaped by context. The paper proposes that these gestures, as part of the people’s habitude, are context-dependent forms of communication that reflect deeper cultural values and social practices, offering insights into how meaning is produced, interpreted, and adapted in everyday life. In doing so, it offers a more nuanced understanding of how embodied practices contribute to interactional dynamics within urban Ethiopian settings.https://ejol.aau.edu.et/index.php/JES/article/view/11164popular ethiopian emblems, gestures, language and culture |
| spellingShingle | Augustine Agwuele Some Popular and Quotable Ethiopian Emblems in Their Communicative Situations Journal of Ethiopian Studies popular ethiopian emblems, gestures, language and culture |
| title | Some Popular and Quotable Ethiopian Emblems in Their Communicative Situations |
| title_full | Some Popular and Quotable Ethiopian Emblems in Their Communicative Situations |
| title_fullStr | Some Popular and Quotable Ethiopian Emblems in Their Communicative Situations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Some Popular and Quotable Ethiopian Emblems in Their Communicative Situations |
| title_short | Some Popular and Quotable Ethiopian Emblems in Their Communicative Situations |
| title_sort | some popular and quotable ethiopian emblems in their communicative situations |
| topic | popular ethiopian emblems, gestures, language and culture |
| url | https://ejol.aau.edu.et/index.php/JES/article/view/11164 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT augustineagwuele somepopularandquotableethiopianemblemsintheircommunicativesituations |