National Identity

A volume in Cross National ResearchNational identity has been the subject of much controversy and debate. Some have even suggested dropping the concept entirely. One group Essentialists argue that national identity is fixed cultural based on birth and ancestry. Another viewpoint is posited by Postmodernists who argue that national identity is malleable invented or imagined. As alternatives some have suggested that national identity is a hybrid of both Essentialist and Postmodernist views. And still others bypass this argument and suggest that national identity should be based on civic factors such as shared values and norms about citizenship.While controversy and debate are healthy exercises in any science at some point order must be established if science is to proceed. The present volume is based on the idea that national identity is an ideal-type concept; it does not completely capture reality but is used for analytic purposes. In addition rather than focusing on these theoretical debates we pursue research with the idea that results from research will contribute to the field of national identity. Three areas of national identity are discussed: theoretical national and individual. Two chapters focus on the major theories about national identity provide critiques and make suggestions about the topic. In section two six chapters provide case studies of national identity on Scotland Ireland Russia Bosnia-Herzegovina Germany and France. In section three two case studies focus on immigrants and the challenges they face in forming their identities especially identifying with their host countries-Belgium and the United Kingdom.Several important conclusions may be gleaned from the contributions of the present volume. To begin with while national identity is a slippery concept if the field wishes to move beyond debate about fundamentals it would be well advised to view the concept as an ideal-type as suggested by the great German scholar Max Weber. Secondly the case studies included in the present volume indicate that national identity is not only based on ethnicity and culture but on such external factors as governance regimes and their changes economic crises wars and other forms of aggressive activity and social demographic changes in a population. These factors affect a population at the national level. For immigrants at the individual level developing national identity is greatly affected by four interrelated factors: 1) the degree to which they are accepted by members of the host society; 2) immigrants' language skills and physical appearances; 3) how well they are able to balance their host national identity their ethnic identity and acceptance of their native country; 4) and their generational status. Generally at the national and individual levels context and circumstances matter in developing national identity.