Nationalism, Identity, and Belief: A One-Day Symposium
25 March 2013
10am - 5pm on 25 March 2013 at The Enterprise Centre
Synopsis:
The complexities and contradictions of globalised modes of identity have caused a reassessment of what constitutes national identity and how it is experienced. In late modernity there is a tendency for nationalism to be characterised as a reactive and reactionary response to the increasing cultural diversity evident in many Western societies.
The British National Party and, latterly, the English Defence League typify this tendency. In continental Europe there are comparable groupings but many continental equivalents have demonstrated a greater capacity for organisation and have enjoyed a modicum of success in terms of parliamentary elections at national and European level: in France, the Front National; the Belgian/Flemish Vlaams Balang; the Danish Danske Folkparti; Jobbik in Hungary, The Golden Dawn in Greece and so on. The fortunes of these parties wax and wane but their social and media presence is constant.
This symposium is a call to academics and activists to consider the ongoing appeal of nationalism, its cultural role, its strategies, localities and nature. We seek to explore the lure and repulsion of nationalism to its friends and critics and the many and varied cultural contexts through which it is reproduced.
Speakers:
The keynote speaker will be Daniel Trilling, author of Bloody Nasty People: The Rise of Britain's Far Right, assistant editor The New Statesman, and columnist for The Guardian.
Speakers will be joining us in Derby from Italy, Belgium, Hong Kong, Israel, and Spain and will address topics such as identity and "Englishness(es)" in British television comedy, "Englishness" and the Sex Pistols, Ethno-Nationalism, post-conflict identities in Bosnia, and EU Regionalism, among others.
Where:
The Enterprise Centre, Bridge Street, Derby DE1 3LD
Fees:
£37 (standard), £17 (students), £5 (unwaged)
Register:
To register please email f.uhlenbruch@derby.ac.uk
