Diana Bang's ETEC 531 e-portfolio

Anderson (1991) refers to a nation as an “imagined community.” Poole (1991) refers to it as a “principle of identity or a number of principles of identity.” Murphie and Potts (2003) refers to a nation is an ideal concept. Compared to a state which operates as a collective of functions, a nation operates with principles. As Poole (1991) mentions it essentially combines a diverse group of individuals, and cultures into one. People identify with the nation (i.e. identifying themselves as Canadian, American, etc). It offers a sense of place (home) and a common time (i.e. shared history). The nation offers a shared identity in which people feel a sense of belonging. The concept of a nation is almost illusory as Murphie and Potts (2003) offer a prime example of how people symbolically would sacrifice their lives in war for the sake of their country/nation and yet they would not do the same for different state functions (i.e. the CRA tax office, or in the U.S.- the much despised IRS).

Thus, I think there’s a great deal of symbolism associated with the thought of connecting yourself to a particular nation and showing national pride. It definitely illustrates the power of such national symbolism as evident in the Vancouver Olympic games and in stark contrast the quick tarnishing of a nation as shown in the media’s depiction of the recent Vancouver riots. Is brings to light, when does a person associate themselves with their greater community, city, and/or country? Does it have a bit of a group mentality associated with it as it may occur when everyone else is showing their pride? For example, competitive sports like hockey, football, etc bring about more pride and spirit than at other times (i.e. when the game season ends and there’s no teams competing).