“You are Defined by Those that Oppose You.”

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

5 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

06/03/2008

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Humanities/philosophy

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Summary :

Since its annexation by Britain in 1801 Ireland has been fighting for independence from that same nation.
During the Irish fight for Independence religion was used as a clear marker of difference.
Another very similar case of identity-forming as a result of a nationalist movement can be seen in Bosnia.
Just as in Ireland, language and culture were also being used as a means of disintegration.
It is evident from these two cases that markers of identity such as language, culture, religion and others are manipulated by individuals or groups.

Abstract

It is arguable that today it is commonly, if subconsciously, accepted that nationality is the most important aspect of one's identity. Whether it is a national sports team, a national representative at Eurosong, a national author...etc. one's nationality has become the most basic marker of identity. It would be logical then to assume on this basis that having a nation expressed in territorial terms would of the highest priority, and some might even say that this feeling of nationalism and self-determination is an inherent right of all peoples. What is unclear, however, is how these nations come to define themselves, and why they feel they must define themselves in a specific way. For many nations today these questions are taken for granted because they haven't had to defend them (in their lifetime of course, almost all nations at one point or another have had to "assert" themselves). Today we have certain common markers of identity that distinguish us from other nations and make us unique. These criteria are most commonly seen to be language, religion, a shared history, a common goal, and a common culture (including literature, music, food, mythology, sport, symbols...etc.).