From political to national identity in Zanzibar. Narratives on changes in social practices

Abstract

Uniting under a shared overarching identity has been emphasised as a way of overcoming intergroup conflict. If people increasingly see themselves as members of the same identity, this should influence emotions and behaviours towards-and evaluations of-former outgroup members. Little is known, however, of such processes in intergroup conflict. Zanzibar (Tanzania) has been the scene of conflict between the competing ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (the party of the Revolution) and the equally large opposition party Civic United Front, since 1992. The conflict resulted in salient polarised political identities, which influenced the social structures of Zanzibar, and often stood in the way of a shared Zanzibari identity. Leaders would often cross over to the other side of the street when meeting an opposing political leader; party-songs were played at weddings, alienating-and at times ridiculing-the other party; and the businesses and ceremonies of opposing party members were frequently boycotted. In 2009, a reconciliation process was initiated, calling for a focus on the shared Zanzibari identity. Slowly, changes in relations were manifested in changed social practices. Based on semi-structured interviews (N = 68) in Zanzibar with members of the general population (N = 57) and political leaders (N = 11) and against the backdrop of a larger fieldwork project, this chapter explores how people talk about the reconciliation process and its influence on social practices. The majority of the respondents expressed that they saw themselves increasingly as Zanzibaris rather than polarised into opposing political parties, and that this in turn led to changes in social practices.