Parental Goals and Values in Child Rearing Practices among the Guji Oromoo

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess parental goals and values underlying the childrearing practice of parents among the Guji Oromoo of Ethiopia. An interpretive phenomenological qualitative design was employed in this study. A purposively selected 36 interviewee parents were participated in the study including four FGD groups recruited from parents and expertise from different bureaus and backgrounds. Four districts and one zonal capital administration was purposively taken as they are selected from different areas of the zone and believed to reflect the holistic culture of the Guji Oromoo child rearing. This was followed by the selection of local level administration called ‘Ganda’ from each
district and then parents of the desirable characters from each ‘Ganda’ by using purposive sampling techniques respectively. Abbaa Gadaa (Gada Leader), Haadha Siinqee (Sinke mother), parents, experts from the zone, districts, town and Bule Hora University were, on the other hand, the participants of the FGD group selected wittingly based on their knowledge and rich cultural exposure. As a result, it was found that Guji parental goals include to have a grown up child with healthy, wealthy (economically self-secured) and a potential child who has capability of getting married and bearing healthy child. Respectfulness, sympathy and generosity to human being and the physical environment were found to be
the major values underlying the child rearing practice of the parents in Guji zone. On the other hand, greediness, stealing, lying, disobedience, destructiveness, addiction, aimlessness, disrespectfulness, arrogance and unlawfulness were the undesired traits that the parents don’t want their children to inherit. Finally, it was suggested that the concerned government bodies, NGOs and other stakeholders can use the positive cultural childrearing practices of the Guji community as best practices, promoting and extending it to the other settings of Oromiya in particular and Ethiopia in general.