From banal to everyday nationalism: narrations of nationhood

ABSTRACT

We encounter the nation on a daily basis, often in unnoticed ways, but ways that nonetheless communicate ideas and ideals of nationhood to us. Nationalism remains an incredibly powerful force, not only in ‘hot’ moments of conflict or crisis, but also in the pervasive daily communication of identity, history and values. These communications are often understood as taking the form of banal or everyday nationalism. This article reflects on how such processes continually (re)create narratives of belonging and nationhood, and the role of language, landscape and material culture in ‘flagging’ national identities to citizens. Crucially, these practices are not just inherently political and power-laden (in other words they may be banal, but they are not benign), they are also subject to contestation and challenge as competing visions of the nation are narrated.

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Daniel Hammett

Dr Daniel Hammett is a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at the Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, UK, and a Senior Research Fellow, Department of Geography and Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, South Africa (email: [email protected]; Twitter: @hamstertowers).