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Budapest W1: Nationalism, Gender, Sexuality - Banal Nationalism

Billig, Michael. 1995 “Introduction” in Banal Nationalism. London: Sage, p1-12.

"an ideological consciousness of nationhood can be seen to be at work. It embraces a complex set of themes about 'us', 'our homeland', 'nations' ('ours' and 'theirs'), the 'world', as well as the morality of national duty and honour." p.4

"nationalism is associated with those who struggle to create new states or with extreme right-wing politics" p.5

Banal nationalism - "the ideological habits which enable the established nations of the West to be reproduced." p.6

"Nationalism, far from being an intermittent mood in established nations, is the endemic condition." p.6

"banal nationalism can hardly be innocent: it is reproducing institutions which possess vast armaments." p.7

"nationhood provides a continual background for their political discourses, for cultural products, and even for the structuring of newspapers. In so many little ways, the citizenry are daily reminded of their national place in a world of nations." p.8

"To have a national identity is to possess ways of talking about nationhood." p.8

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