Banal NationalismSAGE, 1995 M08 15 - 208 pages Michael Billig presents a major challenge to orthodox conceptions of nationalism in this elegantly written book. While traditional theorizing has tended to the focus on extreme expressions of nationalism, the author turns his attention to the everyday, less visible forms which are neither exotic or remote, he describes as `banal nationalism′. The author asks why people do not forget their national identity. He suggests that in daily life nationalism is constantly flagged in the media through routine symbols and habits of language. Banal Nationalism is critical of orthodox theories in sociology, politics and social psychology for ignoring this core feature of national identity. Michael Billig argues forcefully that with nationalism continuing to be a major ideological force in the contemporary world, it is all the more important to recognize those signs of nationalism which are so familiar that they are easily overlooked. |
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Page 4
... contexts of power. If there is an ideological aura attached to nationhood, then the role of God in this down-to-earth (or rather, down-to-soil) mysticism is interesting. The order of nations is not designed to serve God, but God is to ...
... contexts of power. If there is an ideological aura attached to nationhood, then the role of God in this down-to-earth (or rather, down-to-soil) mysticism is interesting. The order of nations is not designed to serve God, but God is to ...
Page 16
... context, 'our' beliefs about nationhood, and about the naturalness of belonging to a nation, are seen to be the products of a particular historical age. The obviousness of such beliefs is, thereby, questioned. Indeed, they can be made ...
... context, 'our' beliefs about nationhood, and about the naturalness of belonging to a nation, are seen to be the products of a particular historical age. The obviousness of such beliefs is, thereby, questioned. Indeed, they can be made ...
Page 30
... context, there were no right and wrong ways to write the vernacular; and in most cases it simply was not written. The pressures to standardize spelling, to establish correct grammars and to teach an approved form of the native tongue ...
... context, there were no right and wrong ways to write the vernacular; and in most cases it simply was not written. The pressures to standardize spelling, to establish correct grammars and to teach an approved form of the native tongue ...
Page 49
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Page 54
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Contents
1 | |
13 | |
37 | |
National Identity in the World of Nations | 60 |
Flagging the Homeland Daily | 93 |
Postmodernity and Identity | 128 |
Philosophy as a Flag for the Pax Americana | 154 |
Concluding Remarks | 174 |
References | 178 |
Name Index | 193 |
Subject Index | 199 |
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Common terms and phrases
according American appear argued assumed audience banal banal nationalism become boundaries Britain British called Cambridge century Chapter citizens claim consciousness contemporary context continue created critics culture daily deixis described discourse distinction established ethnic Europe example exist familiar flag force foreign forgetting French global Guardian habits hegemony homeland hopes idea ideology imagined important independence individual interests language liberal linguistic live London major means merely movements nation-state national identity nationalist nationhood natural newspapers ourselves particular party patriotic patterns person philosophy political politicians postmodern present President Press psychological readers represent rhetoric Rorty Rorty's routine seek seems seen sense social society sort speak speakers speech sporting stereotypes story suggested symbols talking tend term territory themes theory thinking tradition United universal waved whole world of nations writes