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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 35
Page 10
... hegemony in modern nation-states. The assumption that different languages 'naturally' exist illustrates just how ... hegemony. Thus, us presidents, in defending their own national interests, can claim to speak for universal interests, or ...
... hegemony in modern nation-states. The assumption that different languages 'naturally' exist illustrates just how ... hegemony. Thus, us presidents, in defending their own national interests, can claim to speak for universal interests, or ...
Page 11
... hegemony. The global culture itself has a national dimension, as the symbols of the United States appear as universal symbols. Banal nationalism is not to be corralled into the sports pages or the banal cliches of vote-seeking ...
... hegemony. The global culture itself has a national dimension, as the symbols of the United States appear as universal symbols. Banal nationalism is not to be corralled into the sports pages or the banal cliches of vote-seeking ...
Page 12
... hegemony, as 'we', that is, the American nation, are said to speak for all of 'us'. As such, this philosophy can be considered as an intellectual flag for its place and its times. It is an exemplar of the nationalist philosophy of a new ...
... hegemony, as 'we', that is, the American nation, are said to speak for all of 'us'. As such, this philosophy can be considered as an intellectual flag for its place and its times. It is an exemplar of the nationalist philosophy of a new ...
Page 27
... hegemony, by which a part claims to speak for the whole nation and to represent the national essence. Sometimes, metonymically the name of the part comes to stand for the national whole. For example, in Thailand and Burma the identity ...
... hegemony, by which a part claims to speak for the whole nation and to represent the national essence. Sometimes, metonymically the name of the part comes to stand for the national whole. For example, in Thailand and Burma the identity ...
Page 29
... hegemony often involves a hegemony of language. It would not be difficult to construct a model of nationalism around the importance of speaking the same or different languages. To do so would be to treat language itself as an ...
... hegemony often involves a hegemony of language. It would not be difficult to construct a model of nationalism around the importance of speaking the same or different languages. To do so would be to treat language itself as an ...
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