Discussion about the differences between nationalism and national identity

Résumé du document

From the middle of the eighteenth century uptil now, the concept of a nation has generated various theories and approaches. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, people began to express a certain need for belonging to a nation, particularly in Europe, and also in the United States. Anne-Marie Thiesse wrote in her book 'la creation des identités nationales. Europe XII-XX siècle', although in our mind, belonging to a nation seems to exist since ancient times, it was actually built recently. One has to say 'built' because the concept of a nation is a pure construction of people. As she writes, 'The real birth of a nation is the moment when a handful of people declare that it [the nation] exists and undertake to prove it'. This is since the end of the eighteenth century, and more precisely during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that the concept of nation took all its extent. And as a consequence, this period was the high time for other concepts connected to the notion of nation to emerge. The concepts of nationalism and national identity are the results of this. Both concepts were and still are the subject of different approaches. The difficulties of these two notions are not only to distinguish the fields of each, but also to emphasize the interactions which could exist between them. That is why in this discussion, one will first attempt to bring out the different conceptions of nationalism and national identity. In the light of these notions, one will better understand how national identities can emerge. But finally, one will see that even there are some distinctions between the notions of nationalism and national identity, but at the same time the two notions are intimately linked and are also a way to feel the 'spirit' of a nation.

Extraits

[...] The ideology of Human Right is a part of the French pride. Thus the confrontation of it with the history raises some troubles in the national identity. Do we destroy the national heritage in order to re-build a national identity? Or do we have to face our real history? This national identity will be build according the nationalism aims. Nationalistic aims are not always the priority of a state and can also be underlined by the national identity. For instance, during the sixties in Europe, nationalism seemed to be like dying. [...]

[...] In other words, it is the nationalism which creates the national identity. However, this link is not in only one way. Indeed we are talking about inter-action, which means that national identity plays also a role concerning nationalism. Emotional feelings, nationalist ideas are included in the national identity that every national citizen has integrated. By his nationalist behaviour or thoughts which can be more or less pronounced, the way he shows his attachment to the nation, are manners to underline the nationalism. [...]

[...] Each interferes with the other. Political discourse plays here a great role as the translator of nationalism in concrete words and thus helps to model national identity. To sum up, nationalism create national identity, but national identity allows to underlines nationalism. Finally, both observation of nationalism and national identity are a way to appreciate the state of mind of a population about the view of the nation, this view being constantly changing according the time in which it is situated. Book Sources Barthes R. [...]

[...] He wrote that the French tour is a “fascinating national event. In so far that this epic expresses this fragile time of history when human, even awkward, deceived, through impure tales, he all the same forecasts in his own way to be in perfect appropriateness between him, the community and the universe”. Thus a strong national identity translating into citizen's behaviour can reflect the level of nationalism. These interactions between nationalism and national identity and the observation of the translation of these two notions in our society can also permit us to estimate the strength they have or evaluate what they mean more in the depths. [...]

[...] Here, these definitions surround the principle components of the national identity. To sum up, national identity could be linked to a feeling of belonging to a nation which is activated thanks to the stimulation of people emotional sense. This stimulation leads the people of nation to create a coherent and homogenate group, in which the characteristics of this national identity are shared by all. This unity is also built with a confrontation to the others. After this relatively quick sight on the notion of the national identity, it is also important to know how this one is built. [...]