Abstract
This chapter historicises the concept of national identity. It argues that 'national identity' is unique among group identities because it can exist only in a world that has come to be politically organised as an ensemble of nation-states whose functions include the cultivation of national identities. The chapter narrates briefly how such a world system came about, before reviewing some important sociological theories of 'nation' that sensitise us to the possible variety of political alignments of a sense of national identity.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Identity and Belonging |
| Editors | Kate E. Huppatz, Mary Hawkins, Amie Matthews |
| Place of Publication | U.K. |
| Publisher | Palgrave |
| Pages | 99-112 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781137334923 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Keywords
- national characteristics
- group identity
- identity