Symbolic and ritual enactments of nationalism – a visual study of Jobbik’s gatherings during Hungarian national day commemorations

Abstract

This article analyses the symbolic and ritualistic enactments of contemporary Hungarian nationalism during national day commemorations organised by the extreme right-wing party Jobbik. Drawing on three ethnographic field trips to Budapest, Hungary, during national day celebrations in 2013–2014 illustrated by nine photos taken by the first author, the article analyses the manifestations of nationalism through the use of various visual symbols, slogans and ritualistic elements such as marching and singing. Jobbik’s gatherings have a rich repertoire of symbolic and ritualistic elements, which primarily communicate Hungary’s mythical heroic past and revisionism that is connected to xenophobic and anti-Semitic mentality. The article argues that while these modern rituals can be located somewhere between the ‘banal’ and ‘hot’ nationalism, they maintain the ability to mobilise people by evoking collective memory. Jobbik is able to utilise the strong emotional potential condensed in the symbols through ritual enactment, which creates Durkheimian solidarity among the participants and emphasises oneness. However, such a sense of solidarity is based on exclusion and on the division into ‘us’ and ‘them’, rather than inclusion. The discussion is supported with photographic data from the gatherings.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

[1] The word ‘Jobbik’ is actually a pun meaning both ‘better’ and ‘right’.

[2] After several long disputes, it was ruled in the so called Lex Gárda that the ban of The Hungarian Guard meant that also using the guard uniform is forbidden (Index 2009b).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anniina Hyttinen

Anniina Hyttinen (M.Soc.Sc.) is a PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of Helsinki, Finland. She completed her master’s level studies majoring sociology in The Master’s Degree Programme in Ethnic Relations, Cultural Diversity and Integration. In addition, she holds a BA in Finno-Ugric Linguistics, Hungarian Language and Culture. Her main interests are nationalism, Hungary and ethnic relations in Eastern Central Europe.

Lena Näre

Lena Näre is Associate Professor of Sociology (tenure track) at the University of Helsinki, Finland and the Editor-in-Chief (with S. Bendixsen) of Nordic Journal of Migration Research. Her research focuses on social inequalities, migration, gender, work, ageing and ethnographic methods. Her work has been published e.g. in Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. A recent publication includes Transnational Migration and Home in Older Age, co-edited with Katie Walsh (Routledge, 2016).