The Comforts of Coffee: The Role of the Coffee Ceremony in Ethiopians' Efforts to Cope with Social Upheaval during the Derg Regime (1974-1991)

My thesis explores the era under which the military in Ethiopia usurped power, following the 1974 student-led demonstrations to dismantle the monarchy. The military regime, or Derg, were influence by socialist ideology as were the students that led the protests. These students would form revolutionary groups that came into conflict with the Derg and with each other, with the violence spilling over onto the civilian population. In addition to political violence, the Derg aimed to repress religious practices and prohibited many culturally based traditions completely changing the way of life for many Ethiopians. My research discusses the role of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony and how it functioned as a way for Ethiopians to cope with the social upheaval of Derg rule and how it became a space of cultural continuity and stability.