History Education in Ethiopia Post-1991

Rethinking the Nation's History in the Context of "Decolonization" Debates

Bibliographic Data

ID3606803
AuthorsJ Abbink (0000-0003-1383-7849, Leiden University, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume247
Pages487-514
Publication date2022-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCahiers d études africaines (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0008-0055 • E-ISSN: 1777-5353
PublisherOpenEdition (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.4000/etudesafricaines.38994
OpenAlexW4293089964
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited20

African postcolonial national identities are under (re)construction, facing persistent problems of disparity and social and "ethnic" inequality. Ethiopia, despite a heritage of State identity and "unity in diversity," is vulnerable to fragmentation and identity politics, notably since the "ethno-federalist" political model introduced by the EPRDF regime (1991-2018). The resultant questioning of shared historical identity is also reflected in history education and curricula. Based on the last product of the process of rethinking Ethiopian history teaching (the "History Module" of 2020) and against the background of the recent academic movement towards "decolonizing" the historical and social sciences, I discuss the main positions in the current debate. I raise the question of whether a common, minimally shared history of Ethiopia-as a nation and a political entity-is now illusory or still an aim and if so, how it could be taught

Aesthetics · Art · Curriculum · Ethnology · Humanities · Identity (music) · Pedagogy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · African history and culture analysis · African history and culture studies · Cultural Identity and Heritage · Gender Studies

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