The research project has both a theoretical and empirical significance. Empirically, studying the situation of the Eastern Gurage is important for at least three major reasons. First, the study is important because it will provide new ethnographic material particularly on descent and territorial based ethnicities among the Eastern Gurage population. Second, the study also provide a new ethnographic material on Islamisation processes, the relevance of this process to Eastern Gurage ethnicity formations. Since Islam in general and ethnicity and Islam in particular, is relatively understudied in the region compared to, for example, Jimma (Ishihara 1996), Wallo (Hussein Ahmed 2001), Harar (Desplat 2005), and Bale (Østebø 2012) such a study may contribute to the understanding of the historical and contemporary configuration of ethnicity and Islam in the Gurage region. Third, the study is also significant because it challenges existing hypothesis about the question of ethnicity and ethnic politics among the Gurage in general and the Eastern Gurage in particular.
While the most important contribution of the research project is to contribute to our understanding of the Eastern Gurage based on the empirical description and analysis I offer, the study also has a theoretical significance since it may help us to reflect on the conventional conception of ethnicity in anthropology or related disciplines. The case also helps us reflect on the commonplace articulation of the terms of the debate in ethnicity studies in the form of two allegedly contrasting perspectives, namely constructivism versus primordialism.