Towards Documenting Demographic Change in Shashemene Town. : Research Note on Data drawn from 1973 and 2008

This research note reports some of the findings from the comparison of the demographic structure of Shashemene in 1973 (AD) and 2008. The focus of the 1973 study was urban migration. One major finding of the study was that migration patterns could not be understood unless one brought into the analysis the interrelated elements of historical development, social structure (including gender relations, ethnicity and class), and livelihood structure and opportunities.The structured character of the material collected in 1973 made it a possible starting point for a study of change. The aim of the new project was to study the social, economic and demographic changes of Shashemene, and the meaning of these changes to the inhabitants of the town. Particular attention was to be given to the main foci of the 1973 study: livelihoods, gender relations, ethnicity and mobility.