National consciousness and identity in Tanzania: Factors influencing its development and sustainability

Abstract

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’.

Keywords: National consciousness, national identity, religious conflict, civic education, patriotism.