A Discourse Analysis of Jaarsummaaa, a Traditional Method of Dispute Resolutionrnby Community Elders: Arsi Oromo in FocusrnAlemu Disassa MulletarnAddis Ababa University, 2013rnThis dissertation reports the result of a critical analysis of the discourse jaarsummaarnamong Arsi Oromo of Ethiopia. Although it has been used for centuries as a majorrnresource in resolving conflicts among Oromo people, little attempt has been made tornuncover the interactional features of jaarsummaa. Previous studies were mainlyrndescriptive and outcome oriented. They did not address the issue of social powerrnrelationship in jaarsummaa discourse. Hence, this study adopts a discourse analyticrnapproach to explicate the complexities and subtleties involved jaarsummaa discoursernfocusing on its genre structure, persuasive discourse strategies of the elders, social/genderrnpower relationship, and major approaches of mediation employed by the elders. To thisrnend, twelve actual jaarsummaa sessions were audio-recorded from three districts of WestrnArsi Zone, and data on the broader socio-cultural background of jaarsummaa wererncollected through observation, field notes, and interviews. A socio-cultural approach torndiscourse analysis has been utilized to analyze both textual and contextual aspects ofrnjaarsummaa.rnThe analyses reveals that jaarsummaa among Arsi Oromo has a rather stablernmacrostructures with distinct communication patterns and purposes. It has four majorrnphases and several moves and steps, the sequential occurrence of which is regulated byrnuumee/seera ambaa â€˜traditional norms and lawsâ€™ of the society. The analyses alsornindicates that the elders use a number of persuasive discourse strategies that help themrnmake emotional appeal to disputantsâ€™ through positive presentation of self and thernjaarsummaa program. To legitimize their persuasion, the elders often appeal to societalrnnorms, religious discourse, and the government discourse.rnivrnThe findings also show that husbands have absolute power over their wives and suchrnmale power dominance has been legitimized and sustain by the mainstream discourses ofrnthe target society. Further, it was found out that the elders seem to have total power overrndisputants. In addition to their rhetorical power, the elders employ their moral power,rnsocial power, informational power, and positional power given to them by courts. Inrnspousal dispute mediations, the elders aggressively persuaded the wives to accept thernfinal decisions by using various discourse strategies such as naturalizing the conflict andrnthe subsequent reconciliation of the couples, ignoring and mitigating major concerns ofrnthe wives, and making promises to stop the husbands from further abuses. Otherrneconomic and socio-cultural factors also coerced the wives to accept the decision. Thernanalysis also shows that the elders start with problem solving approach and move on torntherapeutic approach of mediation.rnBased on the above findings, recommendations such as having female mediators asrnrepresentatives, educating and economically empowering women, giving awarenessrnraising trainings for the elders on issues of gender rights and equalities, have beenrnsuggested as part of an attempt to refine the jaarsummaa practice. Finally, replication ofrnsame studies with large corpus, analysis of discourse of Gadaa court, comparative studiesrnof court referred and normally held jaarsummaa cases and cases from urban and ruralrnareas were suggested as potential focuses of further research in the area.