national identities

Question 1

not important - globalisation

Answer 1

Bauman - PM - identities no longer has a stable base and merely result of ongoing choices

• citizens of the world rather than being based on national identities

Globalisation theorists argue that national identity has changed because of 3 main challenges posed by globalisation

• political and economic unions, immigration and cultural processes

Hall - one negative consequence of globalisation is that national cultures will decline - new hybrid cultures leading to hybrid identities

Question 2

important - globalisation

Answer 2

The British National Party - negative identities - ORR
- people define themselves by what they are not
- the growth of these groups in recent years might be seen as an attempt to reassrt national identity

Defensive mechanism - Hall - absolutism and nationalism have been response to this threat eg immigration

Pilkington - little englanders - are a response to the process of cultural homogeneity caused by globalisation - culturally racist view of British as while English-speaking culture

Question 3

not important - multiculturalism

Answer 3

Waters - rise in multiculturalism leads to the declining importance of national identities

Modood - second gen ethnic minorities saw themelves as mostly culturally and socially british
- national identity of origins nation has declined

Postmodernists - our identity is now based on a variety of different factors and are chosen individually - we may want to identify with our national identity as certain times but not at others

Multiculturalism - consequence of globalisation and has increased the fragmentation and fluidity within identity

Question 4

important - multiculturalism

Answer 4

Durkheim - socialisation through ceremonies and ritual are important integrating mechanisms that contribute to the creation and recreation of national identities

the purpose of this is to create social solidarity - the general belief that people share a bond uniting them - provides a sense of social cohesion

Question 5

not important - crisis of british national identity

Answer 5

Waters - 3 reasons that are causing british identity to weak

Rise of Celtic identity - devolution of Scotland and Wales have strengthened a long-held sense of regional identity that overpowers the British identity eg British Attitudes survey - 69% scottish 20% british

Multiculturalism - Modood found that Asians and African-Caribbeans do not feel comfortable with a British identity because they do not feel accepted as truly British

English identity - increasing numbers of people are likely to identify themselves as english rather than british (little englanders - pilkington)

Question 6

important - crisis of british national identity

Answer 6

Guibernau and Goldblatt - british identity started after 1707 Act of Union - sense of british national identity created around 5 key themes

religion

monarchy

geography

war

british empire