Is homosexuality a litmus test of legitimate democracy and sustained development? A sociological study of some key aspects of socio-political order in Tanzania (original) (raw)

2023, Change and Adaptations towards Sustainable Development Africa in the Contemporary World Literature – Education – Religion – Politics, ARKADIUSZ ŻUKOWSKI DEGEFE KEBEDE GEMECHU JERZY GILAROWSKI (eds.), FNCE Publishing Group Poznań

https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.26531551.v1

From its outset, the modern nation-state has laid claim to the principle of social legitimacy as its justification for its existence and action. The basic principle is centered on both the rightful delegation of power, from citizens to authorities, and the proper responsiveness of the ruling classes to the needs of its subjects. Along the lines drawn so far, the study springs from the conviction that the social legitimacy of Tanzanian governmental institutions can reinforce their competencies in launching development. However, a closer view reveals that, for the Tanzanian elite, this relationship is not obvious. This is evidenced, at least, within two related profiles of this system. First, from the view of the broad definition of a state, the disclosed mechanisms for the functioning of state institutions make it difficult or even impossible for politically organized citizens to influence the decision-making processes, including processes for the formation of laws. This is demonstrated by the example of homosexual people, perceived in the study as one of the potential pressure groups, whose interests lie abandoned by the legal regulations criminalizing homosexuality. Secondly, the analyses of those aspects of the system of social communication that refer to the discourse on homosexuality indicate functioning of analogous mechanisms. Namely, because of government communication policy, members of the broader society are not properly informed about the issues of homosexuality. Consequently, the overall legitimacy of the political system debases its ability to foster development. The study is based on secondary resources, including the Master Thesis of Claudia Gerard that includes a critical analysis of the public discourses on the social legitimacy of the legal status of homosexuality in Tanzania. Inside of these discourses, the analysis of the content of written press materials has been seen to be at the base of the problem.