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 4
Michael Billig. In this, one can see the force of nationalism within political thinking of the twentieth century. The assumptions of this nationalism are not so much revealed by the actions of ruling cliques that have territorial ...
Michael Billig. In this, one can see the force of nationalism within political thinking of the twentieth century. The assumptions of this nationalism are not so much revealed by the actions of ruling cliques that have territorial ...
Page 8
... thinking and using language. To have a national identity is to possess ways of talking about nationhood. As a number ... thinking which enable 'our' nationalism to pass by unnoticed. Thus, the mundane ways of thinking, which routinely ...
... thinking and using language. To have a national identity is to possess ways of talking about nationhood. As a number ... thinking which enable 'our' nationalism to pass by unnoticed. Thus, the mundane ways of thinking, which routinely ...
Page 9
... thinking. The question behind the present investigation is not why some people have 'stronger national identities' than others. It concerns widespread and common habits of thinking, which transcend individual differences. These habits ...
... thinking. The question behind the present investigation is not why some people have 'stronger national identities' than others. It concerns widespread and common habits of thinking, which transcend individual differences. These habits ...
Page 10
... thinking about 'society'. American theories of 'society' have frequently ignored the ways that American nationhood is flagged, as school pupils daily pledge their allegiance to the national flag. Such theoretical amnesia is not ...
... thinking about 'society'. American theories of 'society' have frequently ignored the ways that American nationhood is flagged, as school pupils daily pledge their allegiance to the national flag. Such theoretical amnesia is not ...
Page 11
... thinking. Some analysts are currently arguing that the nation-state belongs to the modern age and is being superseded in the postmodern, globalized world. If this is the case, then banal nationalism is a disappearing ideology, with a ...
... thinking. Some analysts are currently arguing that the nation-state belongs to the modern age and is being superseded in the postmodern, globalized world. If this is the case, then banal nationalism is a disappearing ideology, with a ...
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