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
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Page 10
... imagined' as communities. Because of this imaginary element, nationalism contains a strong social psychological dimension. This chapter argues that the imagining of the nation is part of a wider ideological, discursive consciousness ...
... imagined' as communities. Because of this imaginary element, nationalism contains a strong social psychological dimension. This chapter argues that the imagining of the nation is part of a wider ideological, discursive consciousness ...
Page 17
... imagined, communicated, believed in, remembered and so on. An infinite variety of psychological acts is required for the reproduction of nation- states. These psychological acts should not be analysed purely in terms of the motives of ...
... imagined, communicated, believed in, remembered and so on. An infinite variety of psychological acts is required for the reproduction of nation- states. These psychological acts should not be analysed purely in terms of the motives of ...
Page 21
... imagined, and lived, in different ways from now. And this, in part, makes the mediaeval world seem so foreign today. It is easy for 'us', who accept the naturalness of a 'boundary- consciousness', to think that the nation-state system ...
... imagined, and lived, in different ways from now. And this, in part, makes the mediaeval world seem so foreign today. It is easy for 'us', who accept the naturalness of a 'boundary- consciousness', to think that the nation-state system ...
Page 24
... imagined communities'. Because there are infinite ways of imagining communities, then one should expect the world map of nations to be somewhat higgledy-piggledy, as the boundaries between states follow the boundaries of subjective ...
... imagined communities'. Because there are infinite ways of imagining communities, then one should expect the world map of nations to be somewhat higgledy-piggledy, as the boundaries between states follow the boundaries of subjective ...
Page 28
... imagining peoplehood. France might appear to have emerged in its historic place with a sense of French identity nourished over centuries (Smith, 1994). The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen implies as much. However, the ...
... imagining peoplehood. France might appear to have emerged in its historic place with a sense of French identity nourished over centuries (Smith, 1994). The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen implies as much. However, the ...
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