Tanzania is often seen as an exceptional case of successful language
planning in Africa, with Swahili being spread to all corners of the
country. Yet, this objective success has always been accompanied by a
culture of complaints proclaiming its utter failure.
State Ideology and Language in Tanzania sets out to explore this paradox
through a richly documented historical, sociolinguistic and
anthropological approach covering the story of Swahili from the early
days of independence until today. Focusing on the ways in which Swahili
was swept up in the 'Ujamaa revolution' - the transition to socialism
led by president Nyerere - Jan Blommaert demonstrates how the language
became an emblem not just of the Tanzanian 'cultural' nation, but above
all of the 'political' nation. Using Swahili meant the acceptance of
socialism, and the spread of Swahili across the country should equal the
spread of Ujamaa socialism. When this did not happen, the verdict of
failure was proclaimed on Swahili, which did not prevent the language
from becoming one of the most widely used and dynamic languages on the
continent.
This book is a thoroughly revised version of the 1999 edition, which was
welcomed at the time as a classic. It now extends the period of coverage
to 2012 and includes an entirely new chapter on current developments,
making this updated edition an essential read for students and scholars
in language, linguistics and African Studies.
