Nurturing patriotism and national pride: An ethnographic exploration into the everyday worlds of Yekolo temari in Washera Qenie School

Abstract

Anchored in an ethnographic fieldwork in rural Ethiopia, involving 66 children (12–18 years old) and 17 church scholars, this article looks at how a traditional school of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church nurtures sentiments of patriotism and national pride in Yekolo temari (children in the school). The findings revealed a multitude of pedagogical approaches that the church school employed. The school system also provided the students with ample cultural resources that enhance their national pride and patriotic feeling. This research has practical implications and contributes to the literature on national identity (re)construction, specifically on ways of cultivating patriotism and national pride among schoolchildren.

Keywords

Ethiopia national pride patriotism traditional education in the Ethiopian orthodox church Yekolo temari

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