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 2
... speech he quoted the words of 'ordinary' soldiers. A Marine Lieutenant-General had said "these things are worth fighting for" because a world "in which brutality and lawlessness go unchecked isn't the kind of world we're going to want ...
... speech he quoted the words of 'ordinary' soldiers. A Marine Lieutenant-General had said "these things are worth fighting for" because a world "in which brutality and lawlessness go unchecked isn't the kind of world we're going to want ...
Page 3
... (speech, 8 August 1990, included in Sifry and Cerf, 1991, p. 197). Margaret Thatcher, eight years earlier, had claimed for herself the mantle of Winston Churchill (Aulich, 1992). The parallels are instructive. The Second World War had ...
... (speech, 8 August 1990, included in Sifry and Cerf, 1991, p. 197). Margaret Thatcher, eight years earlier, had claimed for herself the mantle of Winston Churchill (Aulich, 1992). The parallels are instructive. The Second World War had ...
Page 5
... speech, did not invent his dismal rhetoric: he was drawing upon familiar images and cliches. The flags displayed by the Western publics during the Gulf War were familiar: Americans did not have to remind themselves what this arrangement ...
... speech, did not invent his dismal rhetoric: he was drawing upon familiar images and cliches. The flags displayed by the Western publics during the Gulf War were familiar: Americans did not have to remind themselves what this arrangement ...
Page 7
... forget their nationality. When George Bush made his eve-of-battle-speech, he could assume that his audience would know whether or not they were American. He also could assume that they would recognize what Introduction 1.
... forget their nationality. When George Bush made his eve-of-battle-speech, he could assume that his audience would know whether or not they were American. He also could assume that they would recognize what Introduction 1.
Page 17
... study of ideology should examine the concrete operations of language: "social psychology is first and foremost an atmosphere made up of multifarious speech performances that engulf and wash over all persistent kinds Nations and languages ...
... study of ideology should examine the concrete operations of language: "social psychology is first and foremost an atmosphere made up of multifarious speech performances that engulf and wash over all persistent kinds Nations and languages ...
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