Interrogating the Encounter of Facets of Nationalism(s) with the ‘Difference'

This paper intends to address the discursive and representational facets of nationalism and their encounters with the ‘different’ ethnic-religious identities. Moving beyond the analyses on the repressive and restrictive aspects of nationalisms, critical scholars draw attention to ‘how nationalisms are lived out in quotidian life, how these become part of the taken-for-granted social environment, how nationalisms produce particular accounts of history and cultural identity’ (Puri 2004:60)[1]. New approaches, as Ozkirimli (2010)[2] terms them, underline the discursive and contested traits of nationalism and national identity. These approaches were mainly affected by the ‘cultural turn’ in social sciences which ensued by the increasing social movements in the late 20^th century that questioned the homogeneity of national cultures and identities (ibid: 169). This emphasis on the heterogeneity of cultures and identities also led to the academic quest for the new forms of nationalism(s) in different contexts which also stands for the discursive and representational facets of nationalism(s) and their relation to minority groups.

Following Finlayson’s (1998:105)[3]emphasis on the need for examination of ‘the contents of nationalist discourse’ and idea of exploring ‘the ways in which nationalism(s) operates as a specific kind of ideological discourse’, I aim to scrutinise how “Armenian question” in Turkey becomes a field to construct, reproduce and also challenge the discourse of nationalism(s) and nationhood. The critical discourse analysis of media representations of Armenians, as an ethnic and religious minority group, in Turkish national newspapers and the interviews concerning their ideas and daily experiences will allow me to explore the discursive and representational aspects of nationalism(s).

 

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[1] Puri, Jyoti. (2004) Encountering Nationalism. Malden and Oxford: Blackwell Publishing

[2] Ozkirimli, Umut. (2010) Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction. 2^nd edition Houndmills, UK: Palgrave Macmillan

[3] Finlayson, Alan. (1998) ‘Ideology, discourse and nationalism’ Journal of Political Ideologies, 3 (1), pp.99-118

See more of: RC05 Roundtable. Articulations of Ethnicity, Race and Nationhood
See more of: RC05 Racism, Nationalism and Ethnic Relations
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