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 5
... politicians of the centre. The guerrilla figures, seeking to establish their new homelands, operate in conditions where existing structures of state have collapsed, typically at a distance from the established centres of the West. From ...
... politicians of the centre. The guerrilla figures, seeking to establish their new homelands, operate in conditions where existing structures of state have collapsed, typically at a distance from the established centres of the West. From ...
Page 11
... politicians, in pursuing their public trade, seek to address the nation. Because politicians have become celebrities in the contemporary age, their words, which typically reproduce the cliches of nationhood, are continually reported in ...
... politicians, in pursuing their public trade, seek to address the nation. Because politicians have become celebrities in the contemporary age, their words, which typically reproduce the cliches of nationhood, are continually reported in ...
Page 14
... politicians, wish to create new national units, claiming that these units correspond to natural or age-old facts. In addition, 'our' common sense about nations must be bracketed. This is harder than distancing ourselves from 'them', the ...
... politicians, wish to create new national units, claiming that these units correspond to natural or age-old facts. In addition, 'our' common sense about nations must be bracketed. This is harder than distancing ourselves from 'them', the ...
Page 57
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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