COSTECH Integrated Repository

National Consciousness and Identity in Tanzania: Factors Influencing its Development and Sustainability

Show simple item record

dc.creator Komba, Willy L. M.
dc.date 2016-04-28T12:03:40Z
dc.date 2016-04-28T12:03:40Z
dc.date 2013-09
dc.date.accessioned 2018-04-18T12:18:39Z
dc.date.available 2018-04-18T12:18:39Z
dc.identifier Komba, W.L., 2013. National consciousness and identity in Tanzania: Factors influencing its development and sustainability. African Educational Research Journal, 1(2), pp.118-125.
dc.identifier http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/1738
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/1738
dc.description We intend to debunk the myth that religion is a key factor in the weakening of national consciousness and cohesion in Tanzania by investigating the evidence behind media coverage that portrayed the phenomenon as being caused by religious conflicts in the country. The conclusion of the survey is that Tanzania citizens, irrespective of religious affiliation, do not differ significantly in their preference for the promotion of national consciousness in the country. The calculated X² = 0.8249 was found to be less than the tabulated X² = 5.02 with α = 0.025 and df = 1. Therefore, the null hypothesis on religion as a factor was accepted. These findings are contrary to media coverage portraying that national consciousness and national unity are being undermined by greater attachments to the two major religions, namely Islam and Christianity. Historically, national consciousness takes priority when outside forces threaten the nation or during internal challenges and misgivings, regarding faulted government performances and the threat to the stability of the country. When the government fails to deliver social services such as security and economic empowerment, protect citizen uniqueness and encourage sense of belonging not hinged on religion or ethnic grouping, it encourages revolt. The shirking in the national responsibilities and apparent partiality in turn, create avenue for and gear the people to rise against the regime. Such an all-embracing sense of nationalism is different from one that is based on sectarianism (the 19th century East and Central European version of nationalism), which some selfish and myopic politicians in Tanzania are eager to embrace using the religious cloak. In order to sustain and promote social, communal integration and national consolidation, it is necessary that a program is mounted for the youth and general public that will take the country from the usual national consciousness to what Franz Fanon calls ‘political and social consciousness’.
dc.language en
dc.subject National consciousness
dc.subject National identity
dc.subject Religious conflict
dc.subject Civic education
dc.title National Consciousness and Identity in Tanzania: Factors Influencing its Development and Sustainability
dc.type Journal Article, Peer Reviewed


Files in this item

Files Size Format View

There are no files associated with this item.

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record

Search COSTECH


Advanced Search

Browse

My Account