Anthems

<p><b>An examination of struggles for national sovereignty and social justice as seen through patriotic anthems and songs of resistance.</b></p><p>Anthems are songs of loyalty and devotion with religious or quasi-religious meanings typically associated with nation-states. Singing patriotic songs together encourages a sense of shared identity and unified community among citizens. <i>Anthems</i> compares traditional American anthems such as The Star-Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful with anthems of resistance from contemporary social movements such as Occupy Wall Street Black Lives Matter and Standing Rock. Although seldom fully recognized by political scientists musical song plays a significant role in struggles for national unity and social justice. While America's national anthems celebrate a unitary (white) nation these alternative anthems challenge the definition of sovereignty as property that characterizes modern Western democracies. They offer an alternative vision of a multicultural democracy still struggling to emerge. Written from an interdisciplinary perspective on culture economics and politics best described as critical theory <i>Anthems</i> is intended for scholars students and most important citizens.</p>