All countries have vast differences, but Africa is one country I found to be exceptionally unique, and tribalism is one of the reasons for it. Tribalism’s has a significant presence in Africa. It has created many hardships and obstacles for Africans, those in which they still need to attempt to overcome. (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 503)
Tribalism is very strong and causes many issues within Africa (Juma, 2012). A tribe is a basic sociological unit of Africa that provides ones sense of identity, belonging, and responsibility (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 503). It is believed that tribalism is a result of arbitrary post-colonial boundaries that forced different communities to live within artificial borders. This view suggests that each ethnic community should have its own territory, which reinforces ethnic competition. (Juma, 2012)
When tribal members mature and leave rural areas to go to the city for a job or to study, their enhanced stature brings with it responsibility for assisting their tribal brothers and sisters at home. This results in immense social pressure. They end with the burden of increasing income by any means, legal or otherwise for these successful Africans (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 503).
Tribal bonds leads to intergroup conflict, destruction, and corruption. As the force of tribalism deteriorates in modern and urban environments, Africans search for substitutes. Tribalism is considered the curse of the independent Africa with its many tribes and clans involving more than 2000 living languages. These languages include French, English, Portuguese, and a dialect of Dutch. National leaders seek to transform intertribal hostility into collaborative community efforts. (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 503)
The prevalence of ethnic diversity in Africa is not the challenge to democracy in Africa, tribalism is (Juma, 2012). Many African countries have reverted to tribal identities as foundations for political competition (Juma, 2012). Leaders often exploit tribal loyalty to advance personal gain, parochial interests, patronage, and cronyism (Juma, 2012). Tribalism has a significant impact on elections where voting favors the largest tribe, rather than sharing power with the minority losers.
Tribalism is the cause for the failed attempts at ethnic cleansing, authoritarian regimes, and political corruption (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 503). It is important for Africans to begin building upon tribal heritage while moving beyond narrow tribal loyalties and constraints for the greater common good of the nation and its economic development (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 503). These tribes divide Africans and are used as a means to stay in power. (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 503)
Tribalism and its effects is something I knew of but never gave much thought. I was surprised to learn about the negative effects of tribalism and the resulting policitcal corruption. I hope Africa can evolve from Tribalism, making a positive transformation.
References
Juma, C. (2012). Viewpoint: How tribalism stunts African democracy. Retrieved from BBC News: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-20465752
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences. New York: Routledge.
Yes, you are right. Very right. This is a great, incisive breakdown of what the damage that Tribalism can do.
But, aren’t we all just a little bit Tribal?
Sure we don’t call it by that name. But, imagine we were a computer at the beginning of civilization and we were given an operating system, and in that OS, we were implanted with Tribalism 01. Some of us as we took over the world, moved on to Tribalism 2.0, and we may have gone through Tribalism Vista, but we’re now in Tribalism 1224056.0.
But deep down inside our need to stay tribal is almost an instinct. Then that is how we develop the culture of South American genteels with their twang and their magnolias, who stick together, and the Northerners, with their technology, and their ability to live stacked on top of one another, and their crazy liberal ideas. (I don’t really think they are crazy, just making a point)
Tribalism is The Left and The Right, Tribalism is The Alt-Right.
As Americans, we no longer engage ideas. We engage tribes. We calls the conservatives, crazy and refuse to engage them because of course they have nothing to bring to the liberal tribe, and vice-versa.
We often only see one side of that person, and we refuse to communicate with the whole. What if we stopped describing bubbles as bubbles and said Tribe? wouldn’t that change the way you looked at things.
We are tribal by design, so we could survive the lion attacks, and just like we still have remnants of our physical pasts in our bodies, we have that programming that says, form a tribe, if you want to survive.