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Lesson 1 - Page 2 - How is nationalism symbolized?Nationalism can inspire strong feelings of loyalty and devotion to a political cause, idea, or movement, often through the use of symbols and slogans. Symbols of nationalism are depicted in flags, works of art, national anthems, architecture, currency, postage stamps, passports, and many other forms of media. These symbols promote a national consciousness, create a sense of pride toward national culture, and inspire loyalty toward national political interests. The scholar K.R Minogue examines this phenomenon in his book Nationalism (1967). He states that "flags and anthems can be use to create members of a nation by developing new habits and emotions; the "Star spangled banner" [American flag] with its stars increasing as a new state joined the Union was an important symbol of America for the millions of immigrants to the United States" (Minogue 1967: 11). The flag of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) featured two images evoking the working class -- the hammer (industry) and the sickle (agriculture). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the newly independent nations in Eastern Europe removed the hammer-and-sickle symbol from their redesigned flags. Examine the flags of Estonia, Armenia, and Uzbekistan (Figures 1-3). What changes do you observe?
What messages are communicated by national symbols?National symbols convey different messages. Symbols of inclusion communicate a desire to incorporate multiple groups of people whereas symbols of exclusion indicate a desire to separate one group from another. For example, several state flags in the southern region of the United States were redesigned in the middle of the 20th Century to protest the civil rights movement for African Americans. The states added the "Stars and Bars" emblem of the Confederacy, a group of southern states that supported the institution of slavery. To many U.S. southerners, the "Stars and Bars" is simply a symbol of regional pride. For others, particularly African Americans, the Confederate flag is a symbol of racism. Figure 4 traces the evolution of the flag of Georgia, a southern state in the U.S. In 1956, Georgia added the "Stars and Bars" symbol to protest racial integration. Nearly 50-years later, the Confederate symbol was removed.
The currency of the European Union (EU) uses symbols that attempt to send an inclusive message. When the EU designed the notes and coins of their new euro currency, they wanted to express a sense of cooperation, communication, and openness (Figure 5).
Collaborative Learning Activity 1.1 - How does your country express nationalism?In this activity, your team will collect symbols of nationalism for your countries and discuss the meaning of these symbols. Click
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for the procedures to follow.