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Displaying the Nation: Museums and Nation-Building in Tanzania and Kenya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2020

M. Victoria Gorham Open the ORCID record for M. Victoria Gorham [Opens in a new window]
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Abstract:

Taking as a starting point the observation that Tanzania has historically been a more effective nation-builder than Kenya, Gorham asks why that is the case, focusing on the construction of national narratives in state-run museum spaces to gain a better understanding of official nationalist pedagogy. State-run museums are spaces where states can articulate their vision of the nation, and by cataloging and analyzing the content of exhibits, one can better understand the different types of narratives constructed by states with diverging nation-building strategies. The narratives produced in museum sites in Tanzania and Kenya differ in terms of their consistency, clarity, and inclusivity.

Résumé:

Résumé:

Prenant comme point de départ l'observation selon laquelle la Tanzanie a historiquement été un bâtisseur de nation plus efficace que le Kenya, Gorham interroge le pourquoi, en se concentrant sur la construction de récits nationaux dans les musées gérés par l'État pour mieux comprendre la pédagogie nationaliste officielle. Les musées administrés par l'État sont des espaces où les gouvernements peuvent articuler leur vision de la nation. Ainsi en cataloguant et en analysant le contenu des expositions, il est possible de mieux comprendre les différents types de récits créés par des États aux stratégies de construction nationale divergentes. Les récits produits dans les musées de Tanzanie et du Kenya diffèrent en termes de cohérence, de clarté et d'inclusion.

Resumo:

Resumo:

Tomando como ponto de partida a constatação de que, historicamente, a Tanzânia tem sido mais eficaz a construir a sua nacionalidade do que o Quénia, Gorham questiona as razões por detrás desse fenómeno. Para isso, centra a sua análise na construção das narrativas nacionais em museus de gestão pública, procurando compreender em profundidade a pedagogia nacionalista oficial. Os museus de gestão pública são espaços onde os Estados podem sistematizar a sua visão da nação, pelo que, ao catalogar e analisar os conteúdos das exposições, é possível compreender melhor os diferentes tipos de narrativa construídos por Estados com estratégias de construção nacional divergentes. Nas narrativas produzidas nos espaços museológicos da Tanzânia e do Quénia há diferenças de consistência, clareza e inclusividade.

Keywords

nationalismstate-run museumsidentity politicsnational narrativesmuseum pedagogyKenyaTanzania
Type
Article
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 63 , Issue 3 , September 2020 , pp. 487 - 517
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the African Studies Association

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