People in other disciplines will mock me, but I just read Benedict Anderson’s
[amazon_image id=”B00G2DO172″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism[/amazon_image]
For I’ve been pondering national identity for a while. Most accounts of it in political debate refer to historical events or traditional activities or symbols – John Major’s version of
Yet it seems obvious to me that identity (including national identity) is a process in the present, and looking to the future. It is a matter of shared cultural experiences and imaginative or empathetic identification with others with whom one has some kind of communication links – books, music, TV, the web. So I love the phrase
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