Abstract
The present article aims to unveil the importance of the indigenous animist religious system within Guinea Bissau political culture. By analysing the contrast between the inherent legitimation of State authority and local-traditional ones it is discerned the type of political culture shared by Guinean people. Taking into account the exacerbation of public responsiveness to symbols manipulation when levels of human security are felt lower by individuals, I discuss the importance of religious symbolic capital inherent in Guinea Bissau national leaders’ politics, pinpointing the case of Jose Bernardino “Nino” Vieira. These practices enable State authorities to legitimize their authority, to overcome the ethnical heterogeneity impasse and to compensate for loose relationships between the government and the citizens. Finally, I discuss the manipulation of the religious dimension for political ends as a milestone of the process of africanization of power, due to religious and political syncretism typical of traditional African political systems, on the one hand. On the other hand, I question how myths worshipping the national leaders might foster the breakthrough of an authoritarian political regime
Highlights
Through this article I aim to discern the importance of traditional religion in Guinea Bissau political culture
Throughout this paper I aimed to unveil the importance of traditional religion within Guinea Bissau political culture
The threefold political structure inherent in Guinea Bissau society plays a major role in shaping boundaries of the religious dimension
Summary
Through this article I aim to discern the importance of traditional religion in Guinea Bissau political culture. I identify the political culture type prevalent in Guinea Bissau, based on Almond & Verba (1989 [1963]) classification, by unveiling the threefold political structure and by emphasizing patterns of contrast between State authority and traditional-local authorities. I hypothesised that, whilst the employ of religious based symbols by national leaders is a tool to compensate for loose relationships between the government and the citizens, such practices are part of traditional African political systems. In this sense, their mingling with the State-system marks a milestone in the africanization of Power process. The interviews pinpoint how the President Nino engaged with symbolic capital in the exercise of his power
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