Identifying with Nations
Shared national identity, gradually formed and deliberately maintained, is the glue that binds people together and links them to a particular territory. One's nationality is the condition of identifying with, feeling a sense of belonging to, that particular nation. National identity, according to Verdery (1996), has two components. The first refers to the characteristics shared by members of the national community and may include language, religion, material expressions of culture, shared values, and so on. The second component is the individual's feeling and self-identification as a national. Feeling "French," "Chinese," "Mexican," etc., is an important component of self-perception, of feeling a sense of belonging to one's nation. This idea of national consciousness is significant. In order to be a nation, people must have a sense of themselves as part of the nation. Such feelings may vary by gender or be otherwise stratified socially. In Ecuador, for instance, images of national identity differ according to both gender and race (Radcliffe 1999).
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DEPTH BOX: Understanding National Origins (Click here for more information) |
In some nations, the land to which they attach their sense of belonging is called the "motherland" or "fatherland." This harkening to home represents the familial bond with land embedded in nationhood. The ability to define and politicise space, by considering it distinctive, historical "national" territory or homeland, attaching to it an emotional, almost sacred dimension, is a characteristic feature of national identity. We turn next to the consequences of politicising places.
Content ©2009. All Rights Reserved.
Date last modified: October 8, 2009.
NSF Project (AAG,Texas State, Northern Colorado)
