An analytical narrative of nation formation in modern Tanzania

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An Analytical Narrative of Nation Formation in Modern Tanzania

Tanzania’s political stability is legendary within Africa. It has never suffered any civil wars, coup d’états or violent national elections, and has had regular presidential and parliamentary elections every five years since independence. Tanzania has thus failed to succumb to the violent conflict that has affected five of its eight neighbours – namely Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the DRC and Mozambique – with a six, Kenya, no stranger to electoral violence and ethnic riots.2.

Perhaps more markedly, however, Tanzania also differs from most African states in the way it has arguably developed a coherent sense of national identity, perhaps uniquely in Africa.

Already by 1976 Young (1976: 11, 216) could write of Tanzania’s ‘remarkable success in molding from its diversity an integrative national culture’ and ‘the high order of affective attachment to the Tanzanian polity.’

More recently Hastings (1997: 165) has argued that ‘Tanzania may well present the best model for a healthy merging of small ethnicities into something fairly describable as a nation,’ while Miguel (2004) has argued with micro-quantitative data that nation-building has been demonstrably more successful in bringing together ethnically diverse communities in Tanzania than in Kenya. Moreover, evidence suggests that the political and economic liberalization of the 1980s and 1990s has not disintegrated the Tanzanian nation-state as it has in other parts of Africa

 

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An Analytical Narrative of Nation Formation in Modern Tanzania

Tanzania’s political stability is legendary within Africa. It has never suffered any civil wars, coup d’états or violent national elections, and has had regular presidential and parliamentary elections every five years since independence. Tanzania has thus failed to succumb to the violent conflict that has affected five of its eight neighbours – namely Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the DRC and Mozambique – with a six, Kenya, no stranger to electoral violence and ethnic riots.2.

Perhaps more markedly, however, Tanzania also differs from most African states in the way it has arguably developed a coherent sense of national identity, perhaps uniquely in Africa.

Already by 1976 Young (1976: 11, 216) could write of Tanzania’s ‘remarkable success in molding from its diversity an integrative national culture’ and ‘the high order of affective attachment to the Tanzanian polity.’

More recently Hastings (1997: 165) has argued that ‘Tanzania may well present the best model for a healthy merging of small ethnicities into something fairly describable as a nation,’ while Miguel (2004) has argued with micro-quantitative data that nation-building has been demonstrably more successful in bringing together ethnically diverse communities in Tanzania than in Kenya. Moreover, evidence suggests that the political and economic liberalization of the 1980s and 1990s has not disintegrated the Tanzanian nation-state as it has in other parts of Africa

Well written thoughts.

Historically, Tanzania had favourable cultural and national roots that garnered to what you call "narrative stable politics". But all has to be ascribed to the nature and influence of; the late Mwl. Julius Kambarage Nyerere. Usually nations follows entropy(stability to instability) from their founding fathers whom they set order how all things proceed; politics, economics and social sphere of a nation.

Later on, it comes down to younger generations inheriting the good and bad for the demise of such stability. Truth shall be told, leaders and citizens find it easier to strive for definite vision refereed either in historical point or by following an example of another nation.