What is nationalism

Nationalism:

A sense of national consciousness Exalting one nation above all others AND placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests opposed to those of other nations

Questions:

To What Extent Can Nationalism Be Beneficial to Country?

To What Extent Can Nationalism Be Problematic to Country?

What are some ways that a country could express their Nationalism?

Factors that impact nations

What factors bring people together as a nation:

Their Relationship to their Land

• The understanding the relationship to one’s land varies from nation to nation.

• The way that groups of people interact with their land can reflect their values & thoughts about it

• People share a common understanding of how their land is used as a resource

• For the most part, can share a view on the appropriate and inappropriate ways to interact with land

Geography

• A great deal of what people can do in their locality comes from geography

• Mountains, oceans and deserts are examples of physical barriers that isolate peoples from one another. When people are isolated by geography, they develop their own ways.

• Size of a place impacts the “closeness” of one’s community

Ethnicity

• defined as a group of people who identify with each other based on common ancestral, social, cultural experiences

• enforces mutual connection amongst people of the same ancestry

• Some believe that basing the idea of a nation on a shared ethnicity can protect a people’s collective identity

• However, it is believed that this can create an “us” vs “them” mentality within a shared area

Culture

• The ways of life that people share can also inspire a sense of nation

• Culture and ethnicity play a strong role in developing a sense of nation

• Culture creates significant building blocks in our personality and in the ties that link us to communities and nation

Language

• National language is a driving force behind unity of the nation’s people

• Language plays an important role in national development as it fosters understanding, unity and sense of belonging among the various members of the different ethnic and social groups that constitute a nation

• Language acts as a means of communicating values, beliefs and customs

• it has an important social function and fosters feelings of group identity and solidarity.

Politics

• A government is responsible for ensuring the protection of their nation (Can look different in each nation)

• Depending on the type of government that a nation has results in the freedom and rights of the people within a nation

• A government might influence business policies in a country that affects economic developments both personal and public.

• In times of strife, governments are responsible for the decision making of how the nation should move forward (economic, war, natural disasters)

Spirituality

• A people’s connection with land is sometimes linked to the spiritual connections that they have with it

• A place or location within a nations border can be sacred to a community for  many reasons

• It can bring once closer to ancestors

• It can be where something important happened in one’s life

• Spiritual connections within a nation is formed when there is a significant attachment due to an experience or history

Religion

• Nations develop constitutions observing the various religions

• Various rules and habits from religions are brought together to form a united understanding within a nation

• Shapes attitudes, cultural norms and influences individual & group behaviour

• Establishes and enforces moral behaviour with a nation

Patriotism

• Helps bring people together

• Being part of one nation motivated towards a mission to make your country better can help you relate with others

• Fosters the need to achieve goals in the best interest of the country

Loyalties and non loyalties

Questions

What Does “Loyalty” Mean to YOU?

Who or to What Are You Loyal To?

Loyalties & Choice

• Loyalty often comes into play when you are faced with a choice  and must decide on something

• Choices based on loyalty can range from easy decisions (that require little thought) to hard decisions (that may call for sacrifice)

Patriotism and Loyalties

• Can mean love of one’s country or nation

• Patriotism has inspired behaviour as different as marching in a parade and risking one’s life to defend a nation

Nationalist Loyalties and choice

• Can influence which side you will side with during national issues.

• A Nationalist Loyalty means to be faithful to your country

• Examples:

by going to a parade

displaying a flag,

staying connected with your community

Questions

Do people within the same place have to have the same loyalties?

What is a Contending Loyalty?

What could be some effects of Contending Loyalties?

Contending Loyalties

• Loyalties that compete

• Discrimination

  Segregation

  Violence

  Civil War

Questions

• What could be some effects of having contending nationalist loyalties?

• Why would it be important to reconcile contending nationalist loyalties?

• What could be a non-nationalist loyalty?

Non nationalist loyalty

• loyalty which isn't embedded in the idea of a nation.

• Everyone's identity includes individual and collective loyalties

Culture
Religious
Regional
Race
Ethnic
Class