Conceptualizing and studying ‘Affective Nationalism’ in education: theoretical and methodological considerations

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on conceptualizing the notion of affective nationalism in education by addressing some key theoretical and methodological considerations. Theorizing the concept of affective nationalism in education is crucial for two reasons. First, it takes into consideration recent theoretical developments on affect, materiality, and everyday nationalism (including race, ethnicity, and religion as “striations” of affective nationalism) that necessitate a rethinking of theories of nationalism and national identity in education; second, this renewed academic attention reflects what is currently happening across the world with the growth of nationalist feelings – a phenomenon that does not leave education unaffected. Studying teachers’ and students’ affective experiences of the nation in everyday school life and linking those to the wider historical, structural, and institutional (macro) aspects of the nation will make an important contribution to not only exposing nationalism’s destructive propensities but also inventing new pedagogies of the nation that are more inclusive.

KEYWORDS:

• Affective nationalism
• affects/emotions
• everyday nationalism
• schools
• affective practice

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. I am indebted to one of the anonymous reviewers for suggesting this clarification. As this reviewer rightly mentions: ‘For example, there are settings and groups in Australia where the links with a national identity are arguably quite thin, and it is hard to imagine the notion of “everyday nationalism” […], as having much of a presence in these settings’. Similarly, continues this reviewer, there are different understandings and manifestations of nationalism when it comes to ‘cultural and linguistic stateless groups such as the Karen in South-East Asia, religious minorities such as the Rohingya or Uyghurs, or even countries with powerful regimes controlling the state such as North Korea’.