Nationality

• Which Sociologists argue that national identities are still strong?

  • Anderson (imagined community)
  • Hall (shared sorrows, triumphs and disasters)
  • Durkheim (social cohesion)
  • Guibernau & Goldblatt (5 central themes)
  • Schudson (education, media and brands)
  • Denscombe (little Englanders)
• Who said that a nation is “an imagined community where most of its members never meet”?

  Anderson
• Anderson believes that national identities are socially constructed through symbols and rituals
• What did Durkheim say reinforces national identities?


  symbols and rituals
• Durkheim believes that symbols and rituals provide nations with what?


  social cohesion and unity (that they need)
• What did Hall note about national identities?


  every nation has a collection of stories about shared experiences - sorrows, triumphs and disasters
• Guibernau & Goldblatt believed the British identity was made around 5 central themes
• What were the 5 central themes Guibernau & Goldblatt believed made the British identity?

  • geographical location (island status)
  • The British Empire
  • Britain's protestant religious status
  • The royal family and Princess Diana's death
  • Wars
• Schudson pointed out that British people were socialised into British identities in several key ways
• What examples did Schudson mention that socialised British people to be British?


  • Education - the formal curriculum for history and English
  • Media - The Olympics 2012 strengthened the identity
  • Brands - Greggs is strongly associated with Britain
• Hall claimed that globalisation led to cultural resistance
• Over 3 million people supported a party which claimed to represent traditional English values (UKIP) which supports Hall's theory
• Denscombe identified a group called “little Englanders”. "Little Englanders" were people who were proud to be English and were critical of immigration and multiculturalism
• 52% of people voted in favour of Brexit. This supports Denscombe's statement about "little Englanders"
• Waters believes that traditional features of British life are disappearing because of?


  Globalisation
• Waters said that Britain was also less important in politics
• Who found that traditional English dishes and cafes were being replaced by Starbucks and McDonalds?

  Waters (globalisation)
• Sardar found that Britain no longer had the same power it once did.
• Both Waters and Sardar said due to globalisation, the national identity is weakening as?


  British people will have less pride in their nation as it is not as powerful or prominent
• Modood made a survey which showed that over a quarter (40%) of Asian and Caribbean people rejected the notion of being British
• In 2005 in an ICM poll, it was found that only 39% of second generation minorities saw themselves as fully British whose theory does this support?


  Modood
• In 2005 in an ICM poll, it was found that only 39% of second generation minorities saw themselves as fully British
• Modood found that Caribbean and Asian people did not feel comfortable with a British identity because they felt that other British people did not accept them as British
• Why did Asian and Caribbean people think that British people did not accept them?


  because of their skin colour and cultural background
• Modood argued that members of ethnic minorities were more likely to see their identities in ethnic or religious terms. Not nationalities.
• Hall found that countries were becoming more similar. What did he say this caused?


  cultural “homogenisation”
• Why does Hall say countries are becoming more similar?

  • 
Global Consumerism (we all consume the same products eg Coca-Cola)
  • the global cultural supermarket (eg black American youth culture found in the UK youth)
• Hall claims that people can choose hybrid identities from?

  the global cultural supermarket
• Who added to halls arguments saying that because of cultural homogenisation, it is hard to pinpoint what British culture is nowadays?

  Halsey
• Why is it hard to pinpoint what British culture is according to Halsey?


  because of cultural "homogenisation"
• Which sociologists & theories support that national identities are weakening?

  • Multiculturalism
  • Waters (more McDonalds and Starbucks)
  • Sardar (Britain has less power and no identity)
  • Modood (ethnic minorities don't claim to be Brits)
  • Hall (hybrid identities & Global Consumerism)
  • Halsey (what is British culture?)
• Sardar also argued that Britain doesn't have it's own identity any more because?


  it is influenced by the rest of Europe and America