An analysis of the national identity in the Dominican Republic's history textbook

Abstract

Haitians that live in the Dominican Republic hold a highly disadvantaged position; not always being able to access public services or working in harsh conditions. For many years, they have faced discrimination and attacks by Dominicans which were racially motivated. Previous researches have argued that the roots of this phenomenon were during the post-colonial era since the formation of the Dominican National identity was built in opposition to Haitians’ stigma. Nonetheless, during the last five years, this situation has worsened and inequality has increased both in a personal and institutional level. Recently, a school history textbook sparked controversy among some intellectuals who stated that the content was racist and it encouraged children to generate xenophobia attitudes. The aim of this study is to explore what national identity is constructed and transmitted through this school textbook to discuss to what extent the Dominican identity is built through the exclusion of Haitians. To address this research, a critical discourse analysis of the textbook content has been conducted to explore what hidden values and beliefs are normalised and which social groups are presented as dominants in it. The findings show that the Dominican national identity is built emphasising their differences to any other culture and thus, highlighting the exclusion of certain groups specially Haitians. In addition, Dominicans hegemony over Haitians implicitly appears in the textbook through the normalisation of beliefs of racial hierarchy and ethnocentrism. Consequently, it is argued that content about racism and inequality should be regarded as a priority in the curriculum in order to foster the development a national identity based on the need to respect and value everyone’s culture. Future research should be done analysing other educational materials used and teachers’ practices in order to contribute to the development of inclusive, tolerant and respectful societies.