Cultural Literacy and Nation-Building: Rethinking the Role of Humanities in Multicultural Societies
Keywords:
Cultural literacy; Humanities education; Nation-building; Social cohesion; Multicultural societiesAbstract
Abstract
Cultural literacy has become an essential competency for social integration and peaceful coexistence in increasingly diverse societies. While much scholarship highlights its philosophical foundations, fewer studies empirically examine its contribution to nation-building, especially within multicultural contexts such as Nigeria. This paper investigates the relationship between cultural literacy, humanities exposure, national unity, and social cohesion using a quantitative design involving 742 respondents drawn from tertiary institutions, secondary schools, and community groups. Results show that cultural literacy significantly predicts national unity and social cohesion, with humanities exposure exerting an indirect effect mediated through cultural literacy. The findings underscore the enduring importance of humanities education in strengthening civic values, mutual respect, and collective identity. The study contributes to a renewed understanding of humanities as a catalyst for nation-building in a world marked by diversity, fragmentation, and competing identities.
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