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Commodity individuation of milk in the Somali Region, Ethiopia
Author(s) -
Pearson Olivia,
Schmidt Matthias
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
area
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1475-4762
pISSN - 0004-0894
DOI - 10.1111/area.12359
Subject(s) - somali , commodification , pastoralism , context (archaeology) , taboo , livelihood , individuation , commodity , consumption (sociology) , livestock , geography , economics , sociology , economy , market economy , agriculture , social science , psychology , anthropology , philosophy , linguistics , archaeology , psychoanalysis , forestry
Livestock is traditionally the central commodity for the Somali pastoralists of Ethiopia, a commodity that fulfils numerous purposes required to sustain livelihoods. Livestock commodification, however, is not limited to animal sales. Milk is a fundamental element of Somali life, used as a primary source of food for young animals and for human consumption. In the Somali Region, herders now sell milk, an act that was traditionally taboo, to supplement their income. Thus commodity individuation, processes that detach a thing from its traditional context and purpose and convert it into a commodity, has occurred. This paper deals with the recent phenomenon of commodification processes by identifying the degree of and reasons for milk individuation in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. The analysis shows the extent milk has been separated from its traditional context and addresses the cultural and economic impacts of milk individuation.