From Calling to Hosting: Buna as a Rite of Passage

• In Event: Poster Session 20
  In Poster Session: Division E Human Development Poster Session

Abstract

According to Thomas Weisner (1984), the most important decision a parent can make is where in the world they will raise their children. Context plays a significant role in the development of a child. For female children living in Ethiopia, one of these important contexts is the daily ritual of the coffee ceremony or buna. It is within this context of near exclusivity for females, that female children learn to be and do the things expected of them culturally. This paper will present a rite of passage that occurs within the context of the buna ceremony and the impact on female development.

Author

• Jennifer A. Brinkerhoff, Brigham Young University