Identity: Nationality

Question 1

Anderson (1983)

Answer 1

Argues that national identities are made through social agents such as technology, newspapers and books.
A modern example of promoting a countries identity is media coverage:
1) Where people support their country in sporting events like the World Cup
2) In a news story where the fate of Brits is given higher importance than others.

Question 2

Kumar (2003)

Answer 2

Unlike the Scots, Irish and Welsh, England find it difficult to say who they are and English national identity is vague.
National identity in Britain seems to have strengthened, but this isn’t always positive with growth of groups such as BNP and EDL.
Others state that national identity is becoming less significant in a globalised society where the internet and social media breaks down the barriers.

Question 3

Stuart Hall (1991)

Answer 3

Suggested that countries may display three different reactions to globalisation:

1) They accept a global culture, therefore all countries will become more similar. This is known as ‘cultural homogenisation’.
2) They take some parts of other cultures alongside their traditional culture, developing ‘cultural hybridity’.
3) They resist global culture and protect their heritage, which he called ‘cultural resistance’.