National Days

Constructing and Mobilising National Identity

D. McCrone, G. McPherson, D. McCrone, G. McPherson

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN:
  9780230236615
• eBook ISBN:
  9780230251175
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Comparative Politics
• Index: Social Sciences

The book shows how national days are best understood in the context of debates about national identity. It argues that national days are contested and manipulated, as well as subject to political, cultural and social pressure. Itbrings together some of the most recent research on national days and sets it in a comparative context.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Contents
• List of Figure and Tables
• Acknowledgements
• Notes on Contributors
• Preface
• 1 Introduction
• 2 The Calendar Conundrum: National Days as Unstable Signifiers
• 3 Scotland Days: Evolving Nation and Icons
• 4 ‘We wanna show ’em who we are’: National Events in England
• 5 ReMembering the Nation: Remembrance Days and the Nation in Ireland
• 6 Australia Day: A Day for All Australians?
• 7 Afrikaner Nationalism’s Holy Day: From Commemoration through Hegemony to Delegitimation
• 8 Successful Nation-Building and Ceremonial Triumph: Constitution Day in Norway
• 9 Mediating the Nation: Celebrating 6th June in Sweden
• 10 The Politics of Calendar: Independence Day in the Republic of Finland
• 11 Reunification Day – Day of German Unity?
• 12 Difficult Days and National Calendars: Italy, Cultural Trauma and Giorno del Ricordo
• 13 One Country, Three National Days: Nations, Citizenship and Media Discourses in Valencia
• 14 Parading Conspicuous Identity: St. Patrick’s Day, New York
• 15 Marking Time: The Significance of National Days
• Index