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Importance of national identity
Understanding cultural differences
Understanding cultural differences
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‘To be rooted is perhaps the most important and the least recognized need of human soul (Weil, 1942). Discuss this statement with reference to national identity and the possibility of a post-national ‘European Identity’ The following essay aims to examine the principle of ‘National citizenship’ contrasted with the present modern European identity. The paper shall question the emergence of the European Identity with a brief history of its developent. Weil's statement (1942) 'To be rooted is perhaps the most important and the least recognized need of the human soul' is a concept that shall be analysed with close inspection. In order to examine this principle, the essay will firstly identify differing theories of citizenship, this will enable the author to understand the position of citizenship within a national and international context. Contrast on the traditional nationalistic view point of Irish citizens shall be highlighted. The paper shall reach agreement with Weil's statement with linked relationships to culture, identity and a sense of belonging. Following this, the essay will go on to discuss the conflicts and scepticism that surrounds a European identify and whether this unified front can actually be achieved. Finally this essay will finish with a conclusion of the overall discussion. The History British Priminister Winston Churchill was part of the founding idea to create a 'United States of Europe'. After the atrocities of WW2 he felt that the only way for 'peace' to occur was to create a united Europe; eliminating nationalism and war hungry political opposition. He believed that an allied Europe could fight against anti fascism and Nazism through European integration. 'There is a remedy which ... would in a few years... ... middle of paper ... ...opean identity it's now important to look at how people locate themselves. So many countries encompass Europe that individuals all have differing biographies and histories. Flagstein also indicated that individuals that participate in the idea of 'Europe' go on to develop European identities. In contrast individuals from less afluent economic social horizons view themselves as more 'local' and thus are robust in their nationalistic identities and attitudes. Therefore to deplete the believe that national culture will be lost Europe must allow all individual members from all social classes to allow their trajectories and tell their stories. This will diminish that nationalist fear of losing their domestic culture and instead potentially replace it with community collectivism which inevitably enhance Europe's promise and can help strenghten European identity.
1. The three components of the American System were establishing a new protective tariff, starting a new transportation system and restoring the national bank. Henry Clay thought that each of these components would strengthen and unify the nation because he thought the American system would unite the nation’s economic resources because the south would grow food and raise animals that the north would eat and in return the south would by the manufactured goods the north made. A new transportation system would allow trade between the north and the south. Now America could finally become independent economically. And the tariff would help because during the War of 1812 British merchants brought a great deal of products to the United States and sold them at much lower prices than American made goods, so the tariff would raise the prices of the British goods so the American merchants could sell their products at a lower price.
World War I, also known as “The Great War”, was a global war that revolved mainly around Europe. It took place from 1914 to 1918. This was a very brutal war that caused many casualties. The soldiers who survived experienced severe trauma and mental discomfort. This trauma was a direct result of the violence and agony they experienced during the war. Motivation for this war was the idea of nationalism and the pride in one’s country. This war was the cause of disillusionment among many of the soldiers that were involved in it.
When we think about our identity we often think about the way we look. Such features as hair color, eye color, skin tone, height and weight come to mind. Whilst these features are part of our identity, there are many more complex factors that make us who we are. Whilst psychological issues are paramount to the formation of our identity, I will be addressing the nature of our identity in relation to socio-cultural factors (Austin, 2002, p.9). During the course of this essay I will be discussing the term of Identity and some of the axes of identity, including Race, Class and Gender. It is important to understand some of the significant issues of identity so that we have more of an understanding of who and what we are, which in turn may help us to begin to better understand others.
Communities throughout history have always sought to define who they are as a collective whole. Over the course of time, it was this that helped bind nations together through a collective sense of national identity and belonging. Although there are some set definitions that people use to define who collectively are, such as their own language and national history, this is not the only explanation of how groups of people have conceived who they are. In reality, communities have primarily conceived who they are by comparing themselves to an ‘other’ who they are not. As the historian Peter Sahlins put it, national identity over the course of time has been constructed “by the social or territorial boundaries drawn to distinguish the collective self and its implicit negation, the other.” As this argument suggests, throughout history, definitions of ‘us’ have been dependent on the contrasting definitions of ‘them’. I propose that communities have used this concept of the ‘other’ in order to elevate their own perceived superiority over groups that they deemed inferior. This essay will explore how these definitions have shaped history, from the time of the Romans all the way up to the twenty-first century. It will also be necessary to look at the varying ways in which groups are differentiated from each other, such as in terms of religion, nationality, race, and political beliefs. It is only through this exploration that we can fully understand the ways in which people have defined themselves and interacted with others over the course of time.
It is well known that after World War II, states began to move away from the trends of nationalism that had brought on conflict in the first place. Across large parts of Europe, there is instead great support for federalism and get support for integration and interdependence. In 1952, the European Coal and Steel Community was created, followed by the establishment of European Economic Community in 1957. With allies being made and different treaties and agreements being signed, Europe was definitely becoming a ‘federation’. In 1973, Britain joins the EEC along with Denmark and Ireland. The European Union is then formally established by the Maastricht in 1993 and gains its 28th member, Croatia by July 2013. When a referendum was taken in the UK regarding joining the EU the vote was two-to-one in favour. The benefits of joining of the EU were clear. The UK would benefit not only in an economic sense but also politically and socially. However, in recent times, opinions have changed. There is now debate as to whether the UK should remain n member of the EU. More and more people are speaking in favour of the United Kingdom leaving the EU and standing on its own. While there are persuasive arguments for and against, it could still be argued that the argument against...
In recent years, Europe has faced many dramatic changes which require important decisions to be made from each and every country. Historically, many European countries have shown to be very protective of their respective national identities. Several of these recent important changes and events taking place in Europe threaten the idea of these countries national identities. It is the decisions these countries make which will shape the future of the European Union. As tensions grow, certain countries are beginning to figuratively as well as literally break away from the standards of the European Union. Depending on how countries decide to react, these changes may very well lead to the decline of “Liberal Democracy.”
When we think of European identity, we think first of the most famous of the continent’s nations. Germany, England, Spain, France, Italy all come to mind as primary European nations. As well, they share a common history, bonds of strife and conflict through which they have all suffered together and are now emerging stronger.
Firstly, inclusion and exclusion of different communities happens in specific locations, where identities are viewed as either marked or unmarked. A marked identity signifies something unfamiliar, and thus abnormal, connected to a particular place and history. These identities can be determined by race, ethnicity, class, family, education, or an idea of 'us' and 'them'. Hence, typically, the Western identity is unmarked and normal, whereas other identities from other places are viewed as strangers with strange habits, conventions and social structures (Taylor, 2009). Moreover, everyday practices also propagate certai...
The post-modern world of globalisation seems to threat the nations, homogenising their cultures and erasing individual characteristics. In that sense, the case of Scotland is rather peculiar one. Firstly, Scotland is part of Britain. Secondly, Britain is part of the European Union. Finally, Scotland is part of the globalizing community. This underpins the complex situation Scotland is put in, trying to maintain its national identity in the context of British, European and global influences. Consequently, complicating the task to do so. The case study would be Edinburgh where the exploration of the evidence evidence from the field work would be put in the context of the ways in which urban space and nationalistic imaginings are used shape the structural symbolism of the Scottish national identity.
Generally culture and self-identities are the first and by far one of the most important aspects that people consider in their lives as they bring meaning to them. People seek to know who they are, where they are coming from and also where they are going. However Huntington said that the very same cultural identities are the primary source of conflict within civilisations. He further says that within people’s journeys of seeking their cultural identities they encounter new but often old identities. In other words they are then marching under new but old flags which then eventually lead to war with their new but old enemies (Huntington, 1996).
A National identity is a sense of belonging to a nation or a state. The sense of a nation is a cohesive whole, which is represented by the culture, the language, traditions and the politics. A national Identity may have a subjective feeling that one person shares with a group of people about a nation. National Identity is seen is psychological terms as an awareness of difference.
Print. The. national identity, n. OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2014. Web. The Web.
Salazar, J.M., 1998, ‘Social identity and national identity’, in Worchel, S., Morales, J.F., Páez, D., Deschamps, J.-C. (Eds.), Social Identity, International Perspectives. Sage, London.
The story of Europe is a story that is worth telling for the simple fact that without the background of Europe, people will not understand the complexities in the creation of the Europe of yesterday and creation of the Europe today. This rich history cannot be ignored because of the close ties to the creation of the nations and the supranational institutions that have become the European Union and its trade partners. Without the background on the history of Europe the creation of this larger organization or supranational organization would be nearly impossible to understand the complexities of the current political, social and economic qualities within the EU. The history of a country, state or organization also helps us to understand the some aspects of the future of the EU.
Citizenship, in popular consciousness, exists as a legal term to refer to a person’s identification with some nation-state, the presence of which endows them with specific rights and responsibilities enjoyed and borne by the country’s citizens. Simply, it is a legal contract: By being born in some place or inheriting status from one’s family, people live within the confines of what rights their history afforded and toil under the confines of their given duties. However, as the seven articles from the special issue on citizenship of the Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology demonstrate, citizenship is not merely an agreement between the individual and the state but also a form of identification that individuals can be given or denied. Citizenship is a fundamental human right—yet in the social psychology of political behavior, it is a negotiable aspect of one’s identity.