Identity and Politics in Tanzania

Abstract

This article investigates the political mobilisation of identities during the 2000 general elections in mainland Tanzania. The political mobilisation of identities refers to the promotion of corporate interests by manipulating common ties (cultural, racial, regional, religious, gender, class, and nationality) by political leaders. The concepts of identity pluralism and societal norms are used to analyse why a single identity, like religion or ethnicity, has yet to become the main political divide in mainland Tanzania ' s electoral politics.