C1 SA - Culture & Identity - Topic 12, Nationality

Question 1

What is nationality?

Answer 1

The idea that the country one belongs to plays a significant part in defining who they are as a person -formal and legal category. (Includes rights such as a passport, when you can legally marry and vote.)

Question 2

What is national identity?

Answer 2

The feeling of being part of a larger community in the form of a nation and identifying with national symbols (includes flags, institutions, brands, foods and rituals.) - patriotic attitudes.

Question 3

Study - Guibernau & Goldblatt - British identity

Answer 3

5 central themes - Geographical location (island status)
Britain’s Protestant religious status
Wars (particularly against other European countries
The British Empire
The royal family - Billington suggested the death of Diana in 1998 caused national calamity as the monarchy plays a central role in constructing a british identity.

Question 4

Study - Anderson 1983 - Nation as imagined community

Answer 4

Most members of a nation will not meet their fellow members.
National identity is socially constructed through symbols and flags. Also through mass circulation of newspapers and books etc. which created a ‘national language’.

Question 5

Study - Skey - British identity victimhood

Answer 5

‘Others’ threatening ‘britishness’ due to different traditions. Minorities interests are threatening the majority interests.

Question 6

Study - Garner - Negative view of National Idnetity

Answer 6

Immigration, multiculturalism, ethnic minorities, religious fundamentalism and failure to conform to British cultural norms.

Question 7

National Identity and agents of socialisation

Education

Answer 7

Education - curriculum - England focused. In 2015 schools urged promotion of ‘British values’ due to increasing concern of radicalisation

Question 8

Religion - Study - Jacobson

Answer 8

Example; 95 - 97% of Pakistan’s 190 million people are Muslim.
Islam is crucial in constructing the national identity of Pakistanis as it effects their diet, worship, dress and general behaviour.

Question 9

Media

Answer 9

Newspapers and printing press created a national language. Nation united by a common language.
Example; 2012 Olympic games and the royal wedding in 2011 aired nationwide, showing the importance of the monarchy to Britons.

Question 10

British identities are weakening
Study - Condor - Importance of Celtic identity
Condor - English identity crisis

Answer 10

44.7% of Scots voted to leave the UK in 2014. Welsh protect their language and culture through education. Strong sense of identity for welsh and Scots whereas some are unwilling to adopt English symbols e.g. St Georges cross.

Question 11

National identity and globalisation

Answer 11

British companies taken over by foreign companies. US taking over the UK.

Question 12

Study - Hall

Answer 12

Cultural homogenisation - Global culture and all countries becoming similar.
Cultural hybridity - May take some parts of global culture as well as traditional culture.

Question 13

British identities are NOT weakening

Study - Denscombe - Little Englanders

Answer 13

English people proud to openly display their english national identity.
Critical of multiculturalism, immigration, Europe and equal opportunity policies.

Question 14

Study - Hall (1991) - Cultural resistance

Answer 14

Resist global culture and protect their own cultural heritage, becoming more traditional and nationalistic.

Question 15

Study - Howe - English nationalism and whiteness

Answer 15

English national identity exclusive to white people.

However people believe this will become less relevant due to global culture.