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- All Subjects: Identity
- Creators: School of Politics and Global Studies
As opposed to colloquial understanding, there is no standard scholarly definition of nationalism, but it is widely seen as zeal over an identity that strives to manifest into an organized state. Despite this minimal consensus, nationalism is usually equated with an ethnocentric conception of the nation-state, what I recognize to be ethnocentric nationalism, the commitment to a linguistically, racially, and culturally likeminded nation. I argue that this traditional, ethnocentric understanding of nationalism is only one interpretation of nationalism. Ethnocentric nationalism has and continues to be in tension with a more recently established interpretation of the nation, which I call multicultural nationalism: the commitment to a country’s principles rather than to its racial, cultural, and religious ties.
A common acceptance of difference is growing in the United States as shown by Kaepernick’s public support in the face of patriotic conformity. This perspective draws from the United States’ ideological roots that argue for one nation made up of many, e pluribus unum, so that foreign backgrounds should not just be accepted but also embraced to form a more diverse nation. The passion for a progressive, multicultural America can be translated into its own movement of multicultural nationalism. In this context, the support for Kaepernick’s actions no longer appears to represent increased dissent from the United States, but instead seems to be an attempt to challenge ethnocentric nationalism’s claim to the nation.
This paper will begin by contrasting the reactions to Kaepernick’s protest and to protests before him in order to contend that nationalism is no longer characterized by only ethnocentric tradition. I will analyze theoretical studies on nationalism to dispute this common understanding that nationalism is solely ethnocentric. I will argue that nationalism, rather, is the intense manifestation of a community’s identity within a political state; the identity of which can be either ethnocentric or multicultural. The Kaepernick ordeal will be used to signify the greater division in the American public over whether a multicultural or ethnocentric conception of the nation should be supported in the United States. Lastly, this paper will observe how the Kaepernick protest suggests multicultural nationalism’s viability in today’s politically progressive environment, and how multiculturalism should embrace nationalism to advance its platform.
This thesis aims to gain a broader understanding of the perceptions of Jewish identity amongst Jewish adults of three generations. In doing so, I aim to contribute to research and previous scholarly works that have examined how the views and perspectives of those the three different aging ‘tiers’ contribute to furthering cultural perceptions, stereotypes, theories, and ideologies of identity in Judaism. People of different ages possess varying views and understandings of aging and the aging process. Society, too, says different things about aging and how aging plays a role in relationships amongst people. People have certain and often strong views as to what is considered “old” and “aging”. There are societal benchmarks establishing that people of the age of 60, 62, or 65 are considered “seniors” and therefore put in a special box relegated to those of that age. In addition, there are many perceptions of aging and Jewish identity, varying among those with different backgrounds and cultures, experiences, familial relationships, and more. These views and understandings are not singularly applicable. Cultures may have their own unique customs and beliefs, and at the same time many cultures are also influenced by the larger American understanding - these perceptions contribute to many subgroups, including Judaism, and are evidenced in Jewish culture. In this study, I endeavored to survey members of the Jewish community to find out their experiences and perspectives relating to Jewish identity and what it means to them, both in the personal and Jewish cultural context.
This paper examines the issue of Russian disinformation in Estonia and how the country has built resilience against this threat. Drawing upon existing literature and a series of interviews conducted with Estonians of a variety of professional backgrounds, this work explores Estonia's whole-of-society approach to resilience and examines its incorporation of national security strategy, inter-institutional cooperation, and media literacy education. Ultimately, this paper argues that Estonia's efforts have been largely successful in enabling the country to strengthen its society against Russian disinformation and offers key takeaways for other countries such as the United States.
This project highlights the first generation student's point of view on the college experience, emphasizing the ways in which students believe ASU can better serve them. First generation students face a unique set of circumstances and attitudes through their first gen status. Oftentimes this intersects with many areas within and outside of college life. Through a means of surveying first generation students on campus, this research draws patterns across first generation student experiences, giving direction for how ASU can begin to better cater towards first generation co
Through three generations of Iranian Jewish women's; my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, this qualitative study aims to shine a light on the complexities of their identities. This is done through a re-telling of their histories and an analysis of their views regarding gender, juxtaposed against the sociocultural and political shifts taking place in Iran. Through interviewing the women in my family, I was able to offer them a voice and highlight the importance regarding their harrowing life stories that had been previously overlooked by the world. There will be a purposeful intertwining of their individual stories with those in a larger context of Iranian Jewish history, and the history of Iranian Jewish women. By the end of this thesis, I hope the reader will have a more in-depth understanding of Iranian Jewish women and their relationship to their gender and sexual identities. More generally, I hope that the intriguing and unprecedented intertwining of Iran with Judaism and the unstable historical nature of this association are more widely known and identified.