SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL EFFECTS OF CONTRABAND TRADE ON FAMILY INSTITUTION: THE CASE OF HARAR TOWN, HARARI REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

This study was intended to assess socio-economic and cultural effects of contraband trade on family institution: the case of Harar, Ethiopia. A cross sectional study design was applied in the study. The subjects of the study were 75 contrabandists selected by using snowball sampling techniques. 10 key informants were interviewed and 3 case studies presented. Both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained. Both descriptive and inferential statistics analyses of data were employed. The data obtained were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, SD, chi-square. The finding indicates in-contraband type is dominant in the study area with full of encounters for contrabandists in terms of confiscation, imprisonment, cash punishment, robbery act and sexual harassment for women also prevails. The effects of contraband on family social life, the findings revealed relatively higher effects are exposed in terms of parents-children’s intimacy, relationship of spouses and relationship of families with surrounding community at large. Findings of economic effects of contraband trade showed as both positive and negative properties. Positive effects include the means to be creating a job as an opportunity and it was mentioned as a means to get rid of poverty with a possibility to be rich in short period of time. But it also embraces many economic challenges like confiscation, imprisonment, cash punishment, irregularity of income, and sudden economic bankruptcy comes from contraband trade by which the economic potential of a given family would be challenged. In addition to this it was also a threat to the prevalence of saving family resources. The perception of contrabandists towards cultural effects of contraband, almost they are agreed up on the cultural elements of the family towards substantial cultural change, adaptation of illegal economic practice which hinders legal trade practices, the spread of corruptive ideology, undermining the lifelong process of social mobility and the prevalence of foreign good consumption culture within the family institutions. The most an immediate effect facing women actor in the field was sexual harassment; not to be confiscated or penalized. At the same time contrabandists also believes that contraband trade in terms of culture of sharing family responsibility is between members within the family still positive. In addition to this the great deal of socialization/educational process and ideal hard work principles becomes undermined in the family. This was due to the attitude towards having participating in contraband was perceived as a way which indicate hard working principle.