Nation
by
The nation is a container for ideas about identity and culture, borders and boundaries, common descent and shared history. In its deictic form—“we” the nation—it is rhetorically powerful, alluding to a sense of collective values and goals. When hyphenated to the state, it takes on a formal connotation, bringing to mind government infrastructure and economy. Nation has a normative dimension: we all “ought” to belong to one, or at least have roots in one; and these origins are seen to define us—and to define who does not belong. In its cognate form—nationalism—it is used by turns in a positive sense, such as in the context of claims for autonomy and self-determination; and in a negative sense, as a label for antagonistic behaviors and exclusionary practices. The distinction is sometimes a matter of standpoint: “we” are patriotic while “they” are nationalist. Regardless, the nation is still regularly used as a metaphor for home, and for this reason it occupies a powerful place in our social imaginary. Contemporary media studies has an ambivalent relationship with the idea of nation. Many have diagnosed it as being in ill health, pointing to symptoms of its demise in an era of global media, mobility, and...
This essay may be found on page 125 of the printed volume.