Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism by Benedict AndersonWhat does it mean to be an American? Or, for that matter, what does it mean to be Canadian, Mexican, Australian, or Chinese? When we identify with a nation what exactly are we identifying with? And how were those identities created?
In this groundbreaking book Benedict Anderson argues that nations and nationalism are rooted in print capitalism. Our allegiance to our national identity is different now than regional identification was hundreds of years ago.
The nation is a different kind of community based on socially constructed values rather than face-to-face interaction.
Why this is progressive/liberal: Progressives are often a little uncomfortable around knee-jerk nationalism, but can't always articulate why. This book helps explain some of the reasons for this discomfort. Anderson, however, is not wholly anti-nation. Rather, he is a thoughtful historian exploring the history of a concept, and doing his best to explain how an idea like nationalism came about.
BUY THIS BOOK
Buy the Kindle version of this book: Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism
No comments:
Post a Comment