British National Identity

British National Identity
BRITISH NATIONAL IDENTITY
What is national identity in postmodern Great Britain?
21st century Europe. Postmodernism. European Union. Capitalism. Fragmentation. In search of a new identity. Divided and together facing the rest of
the world. History turns to be an invaluable source for the researchers to tackle properly the term. But history was written by the conquerors. The truth
is probably in–between.
In The importance of not being English, David McDowall states that national identity nowadays might have different perceptions.
"A Canadian recently touring Britain discovered, in his own words, 'There's no such thing as the British, only English, Irish, Welsh and Scots.' Ethnic
minority communities apart, there is considerable truth in...show more content...
London allowed the Northern Irish to govern themselves, wishing to benefit economically while being rid of the 'Irish problem'. It was a profoundly
short–sighted arrangement, and neglected the fact that every generation since the Planters had seen outbreaks of sectarian violence. Northern Ireland
became controlled by a Protestant oligarchy. Every election for the Northern Irish government at Stormont was about Ulster's future – whether it should
remain part of the United Kingdom. The Protestants excluded the Catholic minority from political power, gerrymandering the electoral system when
necessary. They also excluded them from local government and exercised gross discrimination in housing and employment. London ignored these
glaring abuses of basic rights.
With the decline of shipbuilding in the early 1960s, Northern Ireland became one of the poorest parts of the United Kingdom. The poverty was not
equally shared. Catholics were significantly disadvantaged and their anger grew. In the autumn of 1968 Catholics, supported by many Protestants,
demonstrated on the streets, demanding civil rights, basically fair participation in political and economic life. Ulster Loyalists confronted them and the
police, who were overwhelmingly Protestant, failed to act impartially or keep order. The violence soon resulted in deaths, some caused by
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National identity impacts both a nation as a united whole and the people who belong to that nation. National identity can also become an influential
part of an individual 's definition of them self, their sense of belonging and how they look at the world and view their own place in it. Land has
usually played an important role in defining a nation. People have a natural affection for the landscape in which they grew up. They are proud of its
natural beauties– the mountains, rivers, and forests– and of the towns and cities that flourish there. People are proud, too, of their nation's history – the
shared struggles and achievements that have shaped the way they live today. Religion, culture, race, and lifestyle, too, have sometimes played a role in
fostering a nation's identity. Often, though, a nation includes people of different races, beliefs, and customs. Many have come from distant countries,
and some want to preserve their traditional lifestyles. The communal elements of national identity include the country's own unique and diverse
celebrations, national symbols, traditions, food, language, structure of government and the history of national experiences or achievements.
Mexico: There are many elements to the national identity of Mexico, which revolve around symbolism, cuisine, religion and the unique language
created by the mixing of indigenous and Spanish cultures, language, structure of government and both the large and small ethnic groups which create a
culture

Australian National Identity
Identify and discuss the nature of national identity in Australia. How has/have national identify/ies been portrayed and maintained and which groups
have been excluded?
The nature of Australian's national identity has been an ongoing debate for many years. It involves how Australians see themselves, and how other
countries view Australia as a whole. Throughout the country's history, the national identity has not remained constant, and currently it is a debate to
what Australian's true national identity is. As the original country to settle in Australia (excluding Aboriginals), British Culture has a strong influence
in Australia. Australia was originally a colony of Britain, and therefore its national identity was very similar to...show more content...
As a young country, Australia feels like they have to prove themselves, and they reckon the best way for them to do that is on the competitive playing
field(2). The nation's character and identity always seems to be on trial during international sporting events, and the nation prides themselves on
international victory. Victories against England and the United States are especially sweet to Australians because of their relationship with these
superpower countries. Matches against New Zealand are also of the utmost importance to Australians pride because of the proximity of their
neighboring country. Issues of national identity are always at stake when Australia competes against these countries. Other than cricket, Australians
pride themselves on many other sports. After the debacle of the 1976 summer Olympic games where Australia won no medals, the Australian Institute
of Sport was created. This institute brought all sports back into the national limelight and reminded Australians how important sport was to their
national identity. Other sports Australia prides themselves on are tennis, swimming, rugby, soccer, and their very own Australian Rules Football. This
is a game that gives them a sense of national identity because they created it. Although it is based mainly in Victoria, it is very heavily followed in the
region. People are mostly fans of one particular team (usually in

The National Identity Of A Country Today
The national identity of a country today, is heavily influenced by its history. If a country is isolated, whether geographically and/or it is their cultural
preference, then nationality, in this sense, can be largely affected by its native ethnic group or the majority ethnic group in power. As the political
culture, economy and society change, some aspects within a nation's culture remain the same. Specifically as the national identity of citizens in Japan,
France and Germany formed under similar and slightly different circumstances, its consequences have the same effects. Particularly, being able to deal
with outside forces and still maintaining a strong nationality, while laws and policies may come from foreign governments, is impressive. Also having
a weak national identity but a good economy, or a strong national identity but declining economy, represents how various factors can influence such
situations.
Today Japan's ethnic landscape is made up of mostly Japanese residents. 98.5% are Japanese, while 1% are Korean and Chinese, and 0.5% are
deemed as other. The lack of diversity has a lot to do with Japan's history. In the past, Japan maintained and preferred to be isolated, even while
geographically, it is vulnerable and dependent on other neighboring nations. Today Japan remains dependent on imported food, about three fourths of
its food comes from other lands. More specifically, isolation has always been a part of Japanese culture, "for two and a half centuries a

National Identity – A sense of a nation as a cohesive whole, as represented by distinctive traditions, culture, and language1 The architecture of the
Twentieth century has been shaped by powerful social, economic and political forces. This has stemmed from influence of war, diverse political
regimes, national and international architectural movements and technological development. Along with this architects and ideas has been able to
travel around the world more than ever before and from this designs have become apparent that sought to break with the past. Architecture that was
once specific and local has now become global. It would seem that the national identity of the past has been sacrificed for the development of
modernity. The...show more content...
What is the architect's role in cultural production? Is the architect an author or merely a service provider? A new era needs to begin were someone
subverts this modern architectural language and brings back the national identity of a country, no matter how subtle it may be. Architectural styles have
constantly been challenged and questioned throughout history so why can't this one? A key issue that arises from this is the idea of Preservation vs
Modernisation. Preservation is a key aspect in keeping a national identity but this should not hold back the evolution of a country. Sentimentality should
not take centre stage and preservation should only be acknowledged if the architecture can fulfil the function of the modern world. There would seem
to be a fine line between national identity and modern evolution of a country. To truly understand what national identity means in a contemporary
setting we must look back to the past and understand what it meant then and where we started to lose the notion of national identity. It would seem that
national identity was lost far before the modern architecture of today. It can be traced back to the Modernist architecture movement, especially post
WWII. The loss was through a lifeless environment of huge objects, bumper to bumper. The imperious and mute buildings [fig.1], with their endless
rows of sameness, are in fact a shining example of modernist architecture taken at random from the cities of

National Identity And Religious Identity
The fine line between National Identity and Religious Identity has been a bone of contention in Israel, with the Ultra–Orthodox pushing for a unified
identity for both while the nationalists and pluralists believe that the two identities need to remain independent in entirety. The subject has made it
quite difficult for the country to move forward, as the divergent views of the different factions have led to a great number of violent altercations, both
in the political sphere and in religious circles as well. This essay is a strong attempt at analyzing Zionism, and look into how Israel as a nation has been
able to separate the idea of national identity and religious identity within the nation. The essay shall rely heavily on journal...show more content...
The moves to merge the national identity and the religious identity of Zionists can be said to be pushed by the Ultra–Orthodox movements within the
nation. The Hareedi Jews have been well known for their strict adherence to the Traditional Zionist themes. Majority of ultra–orthodox Jews are
skeptical about modernization and embracing the changes that have come due to globalization. One of the main aims of the ultra–Orthodox Jews is to
steer the leadership and nationalism within Israel towards a more religious direction. The movement is able to do this by pushing for continued
funding to the religious causes and policies which the government would otherwise have dropped if it. In turn, their aims are clearly served by the
Zionist Agenda to set up the nation of Israel as it was beforehand. The numbers that the ultra–Orthodox movements have in the government have made
it possible for them to push the government into accepting what they want or risk being crippled. The influence wielded by the Ultra–Orthodox
movement can clearly be illustrated by the deals that the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was forced to broker in order to remain politically
relevant and ensure that his government is able to continue to operate even though it might be quite difficult. The use of the Western Wall has been a
bone of contention between the Orthodox Jews and other

The Core Elements Of National Identity
Conceptually, national identity encompasses an individual's identity or a sense of belonging to a larger community, nation, and or a state. The core
elements of one's national identity are embedded in a strong sense of belonging to a distinctive culture, traditions, language, history, and politics of a
nation/state/country.
Support for unification includes an individual or a group wanting to express their willingness to unify as a nation or a larger supranational group. How
to measure and express such a willingness? The support can be expressed through referendums, voting, public gathering, demonstrations, and another
variety of political and social behaviors. These can also be expressed through media (print, visual, and social media). All these can be measured and
accounted for as means of operationalization.
The core elements of national identity and the level of support for unification includes a certain group of individuals or population sharing a historic
territory, common myths, historical memories, culture, common economy, legal rights and duties, civil ideology, a set of common understandings and
aspirations, sentiments and ideas, national symbols and a way of life embedded in a common consciousness. These elements are exhibited where an
awareness of difference and an understanding of 'we' and 'others or they' are conceived. Thus, one can recognize national identity when any of these
elements are expressed in any form.
Political support is the general willingness

Search for national identity Essay example
The Search For National Identity
Nationalism is the attitude members of a nation have when they care about their national identity. Nationalism can also be the love of a country and
the willingness to make sacrifices for it. Just as a person's identity is affected by other people and the events in their life, a nation is affected the same
way. There have been many people and events that have affected the nationalidentity of America.
There were two Awakenings that spread different aspects of American thought. The first Awakening brought a change in the style of preaching. The
new style that took hold was passionate and fiery, characterized by preachers giving detailed descriptions of the fate of those headed to eternal
punishment in hell....show more content...
(Berkin pg. 255) The term destiny displays the thinking that there was a divine plan for the spread of American thought (predominated by belief in the
Gospel) across the continent. Thus, many missionaries were sent westward.
There were a few factors that influenced the push west. Many artists influenced Manifest Destiny. The Hudson River School was a group of artists
founded by the popular artist, Thomas Cole. (Berkin pg. 238) The school painted beautiful works of art that depicted the wonderful landscape of the
West. Since most people did not actually know what the West really looked like, they were influenced by the works of art by the Hudson River
School. The art made the West look better than it actually was, and drew many unknowing people westward. The Oregon Trail was the path to get to
Oregon. The Oregon Trail was a 2,500–mile stretch of land that settlers of the West traversed. The trail had branches that went to California and Utah.
The trail was very rugged and the weather was not always good. So many people died along the Oregon Trail that a grave could have been placed
every 80 yards.
The war with Mexico also expanded American territory.Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott were two army leaders during that war. Taylor led the
defeat of Mexico's Santa Anna at Buena Vista. ( Berkin pg. 262) The victory made Taylor a hero in the eyes of Americans and led to his eventual
presidency. Scott was a leader of troops during the war with Mexico and the war of 1812. A

Diversity and the American National Identity
Greed is good, get get get, I want what you have, don't touch mine." This is what a friend of mine said when I asked for his conception of the American
national identity is.1 Although this statement seems informal and absurd, it accurately reflects the dog–eat–dog world many people believe to be the
American capitalist culture.2 Whether my friend said this with the intent of comic relief is inconsequential. Whether he knew it, the informant reflects
his cultural identity.
Many ambiguities surround the establishment, formation, and retention of a national identity. To what extent can a national identity be individualized?
Does every individual, regardless of origin, possess the ability...show more content...
Hernando defines the national identity as "the coming together as one people from a mixture of races, and basically cultures, including socio–economic
borders and such." He proceeds to explain that because America is a "melting pot" full of diversities in cultures, ideas, and lineages, retaining a
universal national identity is not possible. Hernando justifies this statement by offering an example of a country where he believes a national identity
has been established. He says, "The Germans have created a national identity; what do you have there? Germans, people of German descent."
Iago, a nineteen year–old Puerto Rican male claims, "Socially and economically, I have an American identity. Ethnically, no, I do not have an
American identity." A firm believer in humanism and individualism, he considers the concept of a national identity in any context to be irrational. He
continues, "A national identity represses the evolution of social and economic diversification." Iago claims that he is altogether devoid of a national
identity. Is this possible? Can a person willingly select which aspects of a national identity to apply to his or her personal culture?
Maya, an eighteen year–old native of India, insists that the national identity is "a lot of different people living together and being able to live together."
Instead of classifying the nation as a unified whole, like Hernando has, she concentrates on the ability and necessity of co–habitation in

Having a sense of belonging is one of several fundamental human needs and national identity refers to a person's sense of belonging to one country
with its history, values and traditions. Since achieving independence in 1957, the issue of Malaysia's national identity has been in the spotlight due to
its strong social, political and economical factors implication. As a multi–cultural country, the search for a national identity is not an easy undertaking
as Malaysians consist of different ethnics such as Malay, Chinese and Indian. Each ethnic group contributes their own unique culture and religion,
hence making it difficult to form a Malaysian identity. In fact, in September 2010, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced the 1Malaysia...show
more content...
The term, vernacular architecture, was first used by architectural theorists to describe buildings that seemed not to have been 'consciously' designed and
affected by the intellectual and artistic currents of the Renaissance (Dell Upton, 1983).
With the growing presence of globalization and modernization, the pre–industrial building heritage is indeed under threat with modern methods
prevailing. In that vein, we are seeing how the "designs, use and meanings of these traditions change within the concepts of the contemporary
processes" in a globalized world (Lindsay Asquit, Marcel Vellinga, 2006).
The societal effects are evident in the negotiation of identity, and the definition and value of key concepts like tradition, modernity and place (Lindsay
Asquit, Marcel Vellinga, 2006). One of the most engaging aspects that is relevant to the discourse of how vernacular architecture is tradition. It has
been a major theme in writings on vernacular architecture (Al Sayyad, 2004). According to the values Victor Papanek exposed in his theory that
"vernacular architecture is the result of multiple causation", tradition as practiced in vernacular architecture can be displayed via a cultural explanation:
In a traditional setting, there are many that determine an auspicious date before starting construction, by way

The Concept Of American National Identity Essay
The concept of American national identity has been one of the founding structures that unifies the group of people that that call and consider
themselves to be American. Since the "founders" of this nation settled in New England their patriotism has been celebrated. The legendary story of
how the Puritan Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock seeking religious freedom is often taught to young children as a way to help them learn one of
the key narratives in the formation of the nation. The story is even more glorified when linked to the greatly loved holiday of Thanksgiving, where
the peaceful Pilgrims eat a peaceful meal with the friendly Indians. However, it is never told of how the friendly Indians were betrayed, used,
degraded, and in many cases, defeated by the peaceful Pilgrims. During the 19th century, a time of Indian removal and other forms of structural
oppression, William Apess addressed how that portion of history was neglected to be told and therefore took matters into his own hands to give the
proper historical moment to Native Americans. The hidden and untold story of violence of the Pilgrims continues to this day. In 1830, the Indian
Removal Act was passed, a law which allowed the United States government to remove American Indians, specifically the Creek, Cherokee,
Chickasaw, and Choctaw, from their ancestral lands to be moved to the western frontier. This act was suggested by Jefferson, but finally passed during
Andrew Jackson's presidency. The Removal of

National Identity Dbq
When it began, America did not have the strong national identity and unity that it does today. Originally it was made up of thirteen individual colonies
ruled by the British empire. As the colonies endured through the restrictions from the British government they became more and more rebellious. It
wasn't until the summer of 1776 that the colonies broke their ties with England and became a more united nation. While they did become more
independent as time went on, their identity did not fully develop for years after the revolution; with regards to unity, the entire country did not fully
unite for this revolution until much later in the war. National identity is determined by distinctive traditions, culture, and language. Much of these traits
...show more content...
But those who revolted originally only united when they wanted protect their rights while remaining British citizens. They didn't have the intention of
becoming an independent nation (Document E). Unity was necessary for independence; without it there would be war between colonists. The man
who made the official motion for independence, in the Second Continental Congress, was Richard Henry Lee. In fact, when he did such he was sure
that all the colonies were "united...to defend their liberties... against every power on Earth" (Document C). But this idea of unification for the
common good of the colonies was not new. In fact the Join, or Die cartoon that is often seen as a document of the revolution, was originally created by
Ben Franklin to be used in the Albany Congress, back in 1754, as motivation to adopt his Albany Plan of Union (Document A). And when push came to
shove, the colonies did show unity. After Britain passed the Intolerable Acts the Boston Harbor was closed; this greatly impacted the Bostonians. So,
other states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, and South Carolina aided their fellow colonists by providing grain,
sheep, corn, and funds that they had collected. This was done of their own free will and with little gain for themselves. The part of this that is most
extraordinary is that the states who contributed weren't solely

National Identity Cards Essay
NATIONAL ID CARD
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
After the September 11th attacks, the issue of making national ID card in the United States, Canada and other countries has restarted. After reading
many articles, magazines, and skipping through lots of frequently ask question about nation General confirmed the black market in phony driver's
licenses exist in that state." National ID card, I myself believe that national ID card will not only not stop terrorism, illegal immigrants but also create a
form of discrimination and increase ID fraud.
First, national ID card will not stop terrorism. The new national ID card will contain lots of personal information. Every tine we use the card, the
information will appear in...show more content...
Because most of the terrorists in the Sep 11th attacks are illegal immigrants, hopefully national ID card will help the government reduce the rate of
illegal immigrant and catch terrorists effectively. However, Prerana Rajbhandari, a student at CU Denver, pointed out the violation of some businesses
such as gas stations, construction sites in hiring illegal immigrants with cheap labor. Therefore, if most businesses keep hiring illegal immigrants,
national ID card will not help at all in reducing the rate of illegal immigrants in this country.
Third, in addition to the fact that national ID card will not stop terrorism and illegal immigrants, it will definitely create a form of discrimination and
harassment in this country. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 required employers to verify theidentity of potential employees and
their eligibility to work in the U.S. The Act also imposed sanction for failing to comply with the verification requirements. Also, United States is the
union of many different people from many different countries. If national ID card has been made, it will be used to track down illegal immigrants or
terrorists, and anybody have a foreign–looking will be a reason for a suspect, a search or an arrest. Overall, national ID card will definitely create a
form of discrimination in the United States.
Finally, national ID card will not only create a form

Nationalism And Its Impact On National Identity
Nationalism can be defined in two dimensions. First, the feeling of having a sense of national identity. This "national identity" is often confronted with
a dilemma as to how to draw the boundaries of what creates a nation. This pre–requisite often comes in the form of either similarities in origin,
ethnicity, culture and willingness to partake in the membership of a "nation". This is contrasted with the concept of "states" as states such as the Native
American Iroqouis, whom although are a "nation" have no presiding political autonomy over themselves.
Second, nationalism is defined as active conscious decisions made by members of a "nation" when aiming to maintain their national sovereignty and
independence. The key focus in this definition is sovereignty, and its prerequisites (needing absolute control over internal and external decisions,
otherwise known as full statehood or quasi–statehood) is sufficient. Hence, geographic dominance over a nation's territorial parameters has been seen
as a necessary feature to achieving "full statehood", which inevitably results in nationalistic prerequisites being fulfilled for sovereignty & nationalism.
This is contrasted with the first definition of nationalism, based on the notion of culture and values versus geography. History has itself shown many
examples of socially cohesive nations as well as socially conflicting nations. This leads to the formation of the debate as to whether nationalism is a
source of social cohesion or of

Essay about NATIONAL ID CARD
NATIONAL ID CARD
The public debate about National Identification (ID) in the United States, Canada and other countries have been restarted after the terrorist attacks of
September 11th, 2001 on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. National ID card is one of the most important issues that had been discussed in
Congress and also in the little discussion group in the CSC 4735 – Computer Society and Ethics teach by instructor John Clark at the University of
Colorado – Denver lately. I can see clearly the heat of the discussion happening right now in every student in that class. Some support it all the way, and
some against it totally. It rises to the question that whether the national ID card will help us prevent the tragedy...show more content...
If they are checked against a central database, then biometric can ensure that a person does not hold more than one card." (http://www.cpsr.org/program
/natlID/natlIDfaq.html)
Every time we use the national ID card, every move we make will appear in the government database. Using this technology in making the national
ID card, the government will be able to catch terrorists and track them down wherever they go. However, in this article, they also said that biometric
data couldn't ensure that the information on the person presents when obtaining the card is correct. People can get fake information to obtain
national ID card. Also, if the terrorists who involved in the September 11th are the suicide bombers, they do not afraid that they will be identified
after the attacks. Then what we should do to prevent it? We know that the purpose of the terrorists is to live as quietly and unobtrusively as they can.
Their activities will have nothing for the government to follow them or arouse the suspicions of authorities. They did not register their title as
terrorists when applying for national ID card. Only their mind is the one that we cannot control or read. That's why the national ID card will do
nothing to establish their criminal motives for renting cars or going to flight school or boarding those planes. For example, according to the speech of an

Hybridity In Postcolonial Literature
Hybridity and National Identity in Postcolonial Literature
Every human being, in addition to having their own personal identity, has a sense of who they are in relation to the larger community––the nation.
Postcolonial studies is the attempt to strip away conventional perspective and examine what that national identity might be for a postcolonial subject. To
read literature from the perspective of postcolonial studies is to seek out––to listen for, that indigenous, representative voice which can inform the
world of the essence of existence as a colonial subject, or as a postcolonial citizen. Postcolonial authors use their literature and poetry to solidify,
through criticism and celebration, an emerging national identity, which...show more content...
With whom will they identify? In a country like India, prior to 1947, most people identified themselves as Indians, against the identity of their British
oppressors. Theirs was a strong feeling of communal, national identity, fostered by a shared resentment of the British colonial powers. However, after
1947, after being granted autonomy, India's populace slowly disintegrated into more and more divided factions, as the "national" identity shrunk, and
people found other, closer groups to identify with. The ambiguous and shifting nature of national identity is thus integral to a discussion of postcolonial
theory, as identification with one group inevitably leads to differentiation with others.
In his definitive book about the concept of "nation" and "nationalism," Imagined Communities, Benedict Anderson says, "In an anthropological spirit,
then, I propose the following definition of the nation: it is an imagined political community––and imagined as both inherently limited and sovereign"
(Anderson 5). His work refers to anthropological data, as he maintains that the concept of "nation" is truly a cultural construct, a man–made artifice.
Thus, for Anderson, it is "imagined." Nation, and identity, begins with one's family and closest friends, and slowly moves out from this center. In our
contemporary example, two residents of the same country may live in completely different geographical climates, having very little in common with
each

British National Identity

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