Banal NationalismMichael 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 1
... territory from encroachment, or to protect the very principle of nationhood. None of these matters was mentioned by Duke William on the south coast of England over nine hundred years ago. Eve of battle rhetoric is always revealing, for ...
... territory from encroachment, or to protect the very principle of nationhood. None of these matters was mentioned by Duke William on the south coast of England over nine hundred years ago. Eve of battle rhetoric is always revealing, for ...
Page 4
... territorial ambitions over neighbouring nations: after all, such actions harken back to an earlier era before the rise of nation-states. The assumptions are demonstrated in the actions of established and powerful nation-states which ...
... territorial ambitions over neighbouring nations: after all, such actions harken back to an earlier era before the rise of nation-states. The assumptions are demonstrated in the actions of established and powerful nation-states which ...
Page 6
... territorial boundaries, and which, thereby, threaten the existing national status quo. With some room for growth, the word can be stretched over moments of eccentricity, such as Thatcher's remarks about the Falklanders being of 'British ...
... territorial boundaries, and which, thereby, threaten the existing national status quo. With some room for growth, the word can be stretched over moments of eccentricity, such as Thatcher's remarks about the Falklanders being of 'British ...
Page 20
... territorial boundaries. As Mann (1988) points out, mediaeval Europe comprised small cross-cutting networks; no single power agency controlled a clear-cut territory or the people within it. In any case, territories kept changing shape ...
... territorial boundaries. As Mann (1988) points out, mediaeval Europe comprised small cross-cutting networks; no single power agency controlled a clear-cut territory or the people within it. In any case, territories kept changing shape ...
Page 21
... territorial nation (a 'country') to which they owed an allegiance stronger than life itself. Community was imagined, and lived, in different ways from now. And this, in part, makes the mediaeval world seem so foreign today. It is easy ...
... territorial nation (a 'country') to which they owed an allegiance stronger than life itself. Community was imagined, and lived, in different ways from now. And this, in part, makes the mediaeval world seem so foreign today. It is easy ...
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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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