2026/05/04 by Markus Rudolf, Fekadu Adugna Tufa · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #African history and culture analysis #Anthropological Studies and Insights #African Studies and Ethnography
paper · doi:10.1177/00020397261446238
openalex publication_date 2026/05/04 · openalex created_date 2026/05/06 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/18
The Amiche are Eritreans who were born or brought up in Ethiopia before Eritrean independence. This article focuses on the Amiche group's political and social situation. It explores the way its members perceive themselves and are perceived by others over recent years. From a social anthropological perspective, the article examines the extent to which a stable social identity has developed out of fluid and continuous inclusion and exclusion by, and within, neighbouring groups. We argue that the Amiche represent a distinct case of stable liminality – a permanent in-between status that has evolved into a social identity that is unique in its own right, rather than a temporary transitional state. Unlike classical liminality theories that emphasise transition, we demonstrate how protracted displacement and exclusion have produced a relatively stable social group characterised by their very in-betweenness.