Nationality and identity Flashcards
(13 cards)
what is national identity?
considered in a wider context, as the identity of a whole country rather than the individual. National identity is expressed through supporting your national team in sport, but through pride in the anthem + flag
what does Anderson argue?
argues that a nation is an ‘imagined community’’ and all the members of a nation will never meet most of their fellow members, and so national identity is socially constructed through symbols such as the flag, anthem + rituals such as holidays and festivals
what does Anderson also argue? (social construction)
argues that the social construction of national identity was made due to the publication of newspaper and books with created a national language
eg. in conflicts and disasters where the fate of the british people involved is given a higher status than others and are encouraged to get behind our nations interests.
why are national identities for the British confused?
national identities for british people are confused. english and british are seen as the same thing, but for someone who is scottish welsh or irish, there is a clear difference.
- this is because those countries have been in a position of subordination to england, leading those people to differentiate themselves from dominant english identity and assert their differences
what does Kumar argue?
argues unlike the irish, scottish, and welsh the english find it difficult to say who they are. the national english identity is elusive, meaning that the long history of the english is developed through missionary nationalism, which is the interests of the unity and empire. this means britishness many just be diluted englishness.
how are national identities changing? - what does Sadar suggest?
sadar suggests the world is in the middle of a global identity crisis, in which many of the old divides such as easy vs west, by which we had defined ourselves, have broken down.
how are national identities changing? - historical traditions, empires
british having lost its empire and feeling very small in a global world, is unsure about whether it should become more american or european. englishness was based on historical traditions that are meaningless to a vast majority living there today –> so there is a struggle to find an english identity.
how are national identities changing? - what does Sadar argue
sadar argues to develop a confident identity, we must embrace diversity but also focus on what makes us the same
how are national identities changing? - how has english national identity strengthened
however, in more recent times, the face of devolution, economic crisis and increasing immigration
- english national identity appears to have strengthened. eg. as we see with ethnicity any aspect of identity becomes more significant to an individual if its a perceived source of conflict or oppression
how are national identities changing? - what would some argue about new english identity
some would argue that this new english identity is negative + exclusive which the growth in population of groups such as the english defence league.
how are national identities changing? - what does Channel 4 white tribe series show?
channel 4 documentary series white tribe shows someone who grew up Caribbean and can see himself british and also black, a growth of english nationalism seems more exclusive and white leading him to question where he would fit in a new nationalistic england. however, others argue national identity is less significant in today’s globalised society.
how are national identities changing? - ‘citizens of the wolrd’
young people are ‘citizens of the world’ and national boundaries and cultures are less significant. in the internet and social media have contributed to this breaking down of boundaries
how are national identities changing? What are the 3 different reactions to globalisation that countries may display from Stuart Hall?
- they may accept a global culture, and all countries will be more similar, referred as cultural homogenisation
- they may take some parts of global culture alongside their traditional culture, and develop and individual culture - he called cultural hybridity
- they may resist global culture and fiercely protect their cultural heritage, becoming more traditionalistic and nationalistic, which he called cultural resistance
