Symbols of Defeat in the Construction of National Identity [Hardcover]

This book explains why nations elevate images of their own defeat to the center of their symbolism and understanding of their history.This book is a comparative study of nations that emphasize images of their own defeat in their country's mythology and sense of history. The author uses examples from Israel, Serbia, France, Greece, and Ghana to explore this phenomenon, offering insights on current theories of nations and nationalism. He employs approaches from various disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, and the psychology of religions, to enrich his analysis.This book is a comparative study of nations that emphasize images of their own defeat in their country's mythology and sense of history. The author uses examples from Israel, Serbia, France, Greece, and Ghana to explore this phenomenon, offering insights on current theories of nations and nationalism. He employs approaches from various disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, and the psychology of religions, to enrich his analysis.If nationalism is the assertion of legitimacy for a nation and its effectiveness as a political entity, why do many nations emphasize images of their own defeat in understanding their history? Using Israel, Serbia, France, Greece, and Ghana as examples, the author argues that this phenomenon exposes the ambivalence that lurks behind the passions nationalism evokes. Symbols of defeat glorify a nation's ancient past, while reenacting the destruction of that past as a necessary step in constructing a functioning modern society. As a result, these symbols often assume a foundational role in national mythology. Threats to such symbols are perceived as threats to the nation itself and consequently are met with desperation difficult for outsiders to understand.1. Theories of nations and nationalism; 2. Totem sacrifice and national identity; 3. Symbols of defeat in national monument and ritual; 4. The defeat narrative in national myth and symbol; 5. Implications to politics aló¦