Nationalist Identity in France - Essay Example

Introduction Social identity is a significant element for individuals and groups in different society, the negative consequences that the phenomenon may bring notwithstanding. This phenomenon coincides with the aspect of national identity, an element which entrenches the sense of belonging to groups and individuals with respect to their countries or states. Nationalism of different nations, institute among the subjects that emerge prominently in the discussions of the countries’ histories with France not being an exception. The term which appears modern, emerged in the late 18th century, tracing back to events like the French revolution (Smith 3-7) Nationalism in France relates to among other things, the nation’s growth process, feeling of belonging among the citizens, political and social movements on its behalf and the general and particular doctrine of France being nation (Stovall & Van 33-191). Nationalism emerges in two categories with that of France being civic in nature besides demonstrating some unique and special features. Nationalism in the nation emerges in different phases with the present and past trends sharing some similarities while also exhibiting differences. Moreover, the negative and positive impacts of the concept which hinges extensively on the French revolution are widespread. Among the impacts institute economic changes in France. Further, there exist future prediction of the economy and other facets of French nationalism being among the frequently discussed subjects in the nation’s history. France and National Identity: the Past and Present Nationalism in France is a factor that incessantly grows. The process is social and political in nature just as the chase is in other parts of the globe. This manifests in the involvement of political entities in the espousal of the standpoints of the Political Party National Front. This is in line with the party’s growing popularity. According to the article, ‘France: The Growing Popularity of Nationalism’ (n.p), this movement reflects on the ideals of the party which point to the failure of multiculturalism. Moreover, the incursion of immigrants also continues to put at risk the traditional secularism nature of the nation. According to Fraioli (pp. 55-71), French nationalism is a factor of the struggles of Joan of Arc whose reference to her supporters as Frenchmen attained a lot of popularity. Besides the period after the French revolution saw French nationalism rise as a movement. The ideals of equality, fraternity and liberty which defined the French revolutions became part of the phenomenon that Napoleon Bonarpate advanced during the period. French Nationalism comes to the fore as special owing its association with the French revolution and the use of the slogans of fraternity, liberty and equality (Suldow 55, Kelly 123-133). This pointed to a victory of expression of a lucid faith in widespread humanity and tolerant progress. The fact that the phenomenon covers both the French nationals and all other individuals from around the globe is extraordinary (Stovall & Van 109). As Keitner (p. 54) demonstrates, the features of nationalism not only serve to as a tool for promoting unity in the nation while also promoting special relationships with entities from other nations. The development of various rituals in fulfilling the ideals of French nationalism is also one common and special aspect of the process. Among these include patriotic sermons, music, national holidays and poetry just to mention but a few (Kelly 75, 218). In the most wide-ranging manner, this feature pervades all expressions of life in France. Brian Sudlow in the Publication National Identities in France (pp. 25-33) Indicates that, French nationalism is a dynamic phenomenon with the past and the present happenings of the feature possessing some differences. According to the author, the prerevolutionary periods and the tome after the French revolutionary point to different phases of nationalism in the country. Before the French revolution, diverse religious and regional demarcations defined the nation. Nothing, save for that all individuals had the duty of serving the king linked the nation. During the period, the old administration governed the country with each of the nationals belonging to one of the three estates. The high and the lower clergy together with the Roman Catholic belonged to the first estate while the second estate instituted aristocracy. The third estate on the other hand, encompassed everyone else. It instituted the peasants and the middle class (James 450-471). Among the activities that represented nationalism in the era included voting with the changing involvement of the third estate emerging. They instituted the parliamentary representative as the national assembly with their roles that begun On June 17th, 1789, being eliminating marginalization and division of the government. This they did with the view of reducing the effects of the separation of constituency and representing the entire nation (Crowdy & Patrice 18-20). The need for uncompromised loyalty to the state increased with the improving secularization of the nation. With the shift of time, the French tricolor which also instituted the present day flag of the nation became the revolution’s emblem. August 26, 1789 saw the National Assembly proffer the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen". This declaration encompassed among the most significant or the most noteworthy documentation in the history of the nation. The declaration aimed to assert the values of the new state. What is more, it focused on the needs of the entire human race besides the equality of the individual citizens coupled with the shared sovereignty of the people (Crowdy & Patrice 30). In the 1970s a time when the nation’s army indulged in battles with other states in Europe, nationalism began gaining momentum. The French national army represented the rest of the citizens using weaponry and under the commandership officers promoted speedily on the basis of their merit. The troops also acted as citizens who fought for their own cause. Nationalism during the time established an intense political-mindedness making it more dreadful, contrasting strongly with the unresponsiveness of the troops of the opposing entities. The opposing troops instituted of some surfs and entities with no sense of ownership in their own political structures. It is evident that the end of the eighteenth century saw the emergence of the sense of membership among the French citizens (Spark Notes Editors n.p). The sense of unity emanated not from the need to serve the king since their association related to their view of themselves as citizens who could proudly serve their country. This feeling of belonging is considered as a trigger of nationalism. In the present day France, nationalism goes hand in hand with a redefinition of the nation’s social and political landscape. The state of abstention is growing in the nation which also has a considerable population of immigrants. Moreover, the nation is rapidly witnessing the acceleration in the popularity of the French National Front Party with the national party topping elections for the first time in the nation’s history (France: The Growing Popularity of Nationalism n.p). As Spark Notes Editors (n.p) illustrate, historians concur collectively that the French Revolution was a defining moment and an occurrence that transformed Europe irreversibly. Among the notable effects of the revolution was the overthrow the monarchy. Moreover, the nation attained religious tolerance and established state schools (Kelly 115). The citizens, on the other hand, gained the right to criticize or question their leadership. They also obtained the right to vote for the entities they wanted to govern them. Sudlow (pp. 25-33), demonstrates that the appearance of the French revolution as a failure and its near nullification state by 1815 deterred not the event from manifesting far reaching results. Before the revolution, the dominance of the landowners and the bourgeois was not a surprise. In addition, Feudalism was non existence; the code Napoleon consolidated the contractual relationships and the social order. The revolution had the effect of unification with the power of the national state rising to another level. Together with the Napoleonic Wars, the revolution brought down Europe’s primeval system, hastening the beginning of nationalism. Moreover, it launched the epoch of contemporary, total warfare. Historians opposed to the idea of totalitarianism as a factor of the French revolution contend that the notion fails to consider the very important function the Revolution played in setting up the models to such democratic foundations as representative government, the constitution and elections. The failed endeavor of the urban lower middle classes to acquire political and economic benefits presaged the 19th century class conflicts in France. While major historical elucidation of the Revolution vary greatly, almost all concur that the revolution had a special weight on the creation of the present day society (Spark Notes Editors n.p). As (Smith 3-7) puts it, possessing a national identity is a noteworthy experience for citizen in every nation and the French are not exempted. This is irrespective of the challenges that may occur, owing to the concept. Having a national identity for the French is a concept that brings much pride to the citizens and the nation as a whole. At the same time, it brings with it some negative consequences that undermine the benefits that the phenomenon proffers among its citizens. Among the positive impacts of the concept of national identity for the people of France is the satisfaction they gain from experiencing the sense of belonging. The enlightenment and the ease of communication through writing have also become widespread in the nation which presently enjoys the experience of state based schools (Kelly 115). Other benefits of the phenomenon include the empowerment of the peasants and the middle class through the ability to vote and hold political positions, the bridging of the gap between the rich and the poor, the eradication of monarchy and the institution of democracy among other benefits. The downside of national identity among the French emanate from the collision that the citizens experience with the concept and their own civil identity. Some scholars also argue that, nationalism in France and in other sections of the globe is not only wrong but also harmful. This is because it negates the concept of international unity for which it claims to advance. Moreover, the ancient roots of the phenomenon make some of its features irrelevant in the contemporary world. For instance, as opposed to the past, present day individuals are not in dire need for banding together as a means of ensuring survival. Nationalism emerges in two facets, the civic facet and the ethnic facet. Ethnic nationalism refers to the form of national identity that emanate from heritable factors. Nationalism, in this context takes into consideration the ethnic background or ancestral backgrounds of the individuals (Spinner 4-6). In such a society, the legitimacy of the state is an element of its position as homeland of the ethnic group. Civic nationalism, on the other hand, relates to the situation where the participation of citizens governs the legitimacy of a state. The phenomenon which also goes by the identity, civil nationalism, coincides with the nature of national identity in France. Here, the will of the people and the extent to which the state respects it determines whether a regime becomes legitimate or not. This form of nationalism operates within the confines of liberalism and nationalism. All the same, it contrasts with the phenomenon of ethnic nationalism in the platform of national identity. With civic nationalism, a society performs under the ideals of the institution of representative democracy (Waters 335- 354). The phenomenon which instituted among the products of the French revolution has contributed to the achievement of national unity as opposed to the monarchies that existed in the past. The 1791 of the revolution motto which declared the Rights of Man has not only promoted the essence of citizenry, irrespective of sex, race, religion or nationality but continues to entrench the concept of enlightenment that also came with it. Moreover, the civic nationalism in the nation continues to enhance the belief of the citizens in the concept as the case is in other regions of the world embracing it (Spark Notes Editors n.p). According to Stovall and Van (33-191) multi culturization of France became an inevitable occurrence following the changing notion of nationalism. The consideration of the nation’s citizens and the inhabitants of other societies as significant and having equal right is to credit for the occurrence. The 1958 constitution of the land stipulate that the nation is indivisible, democratic, social and secular. The promotion of equality of individuals irrespective of their race, origin or religion is testament to this. The nation is culturally diverse, thanks to the constant immigration of individuals from different ethnic backgrounds into the anions. The liberal nature of the noting and the support of the law on the same have made migration into the nation considerably easy. Moreover, the perspective of the nation on multi culturization perennially undergoes evolution with the Maghrebian population in the nation, particularly, experiencing the impacts of the evolution. The regulation of the initially liberal migration process began in 2007 under the command of president Sarkozy. The problem of illegal immigration into the region included among the factors that prompted the decision. Besides controlling unlawful influx of immigration, the command aimed to enhance corporation with the states from which immigrants came, enhance integration into the country and promote the French identity. Although different experts consider multi culturization a dying phenomenon in the nation, evidence on efforts at enhancing the process still exists. Among these include the integration of the concept in school curriculum and the inclusion of ethic understanding or representation in the authorization of media licensing or public media. Nationalism in France had had different impacts on different sectors and among different entities. Some of the impacts that the process, coupled with the events that surrounded the French revolution, point to the economic weight that the phenomenon had on the nation and other countries. According to Waters (pp. 335- 354), with its roots in right-wing nationalism, the nation has revived declinology in the post-2008 framework as a measure for interpreting and responding to the economic crisis. Current literatures construe the crisis as another episode in a continuing tale of national decline, a phenomenon responsible for the progressive marginalization of the nation. Moreover, the declinists authors of the 1900s viewed France economic liberalization of nationalism as a solution for the ills of the nation. The financial costs of the battles fought during the French revolution are also a factor whose influence is obvious. This is similar to the case of the American Revolution where all combatants, France included spent millions of pounds and other national resources in enhancing their capabilities against the opposing armies in the battles. Such spending made the nations vulnerable to financial instability and subsequent paralysis of their economies. The society is dynamic and as such the only predictable factor is the possibility of change. Culture institutes among the aspect of change with nationalism being among the futures of cultures that are potential to change. Nationalism in franc and other part of the globe is evidently subject to transformation thanks to the introduction and transformations of ideas and capabilities. According to Ozkirimli (pp. 1-2), the changes in the past influenced the transformation of the concept and this makes the transformation of the nationalism in the future evidently possible. The factors of globalization, the changing conditions for national homogeneity, the changing face of the concept of belonging and the conflicts of civilizations expose this phenomenon to extreme hanges. Globalization for instance, has three significant problems. Besides being not a contemporary revolutionary development it is a persistent and evolutionary process. It is also not tantamount to western universalization. Moreover, no one can define the concept as a unitary and secular process. It encompasses institutions like migrations long-distance trade, missionary religions, technologies and secular science among others. the dynamic and multicolored nature of globalization may not generate homogenization which is a much needed ingredient in nationalization. This is because of its capacity to generate ethnic differentiation which justifies the longer historical perspective, which has the potential to reveal globalization as an element of enunciation and crystallization of cultural and national differences (Ozkirimli 8-9). Conclusion Nationalism is a term which dates back to the 18th century though it presents its impacts in the present day society. Nationalism constitutes the sense of belonging that individuals and groups attach to their respective states. The concept which is common in France as in other countries of the world relates to the social and political movement in the society with the changes that occur in the two concepts emerging in the changing face of national identity. In France, this idea relates to the concept of equality, fraternity and liberty has special feature one of which relate to the inclusion of all the citizens of the world in the definition of French nationalism. French nationalism also depicts differences in its past and present definition. As opposed to the definition of the concept as the linkage of individuals through service to the king, the sense of ownership to the national cause now defines the feature. The revolution which led to the extensive transformation of the European society and the aspects of nationalism in France evidently contributed to widespread changes. Among them include the shift from anarchy to democracy and the introduction of the enlightenment era in the nation. Of the two forms of nationalism, France has the civic type which goes hand in hand with the definition of citizen participation as the main factor of state legitimacy. Moreover, the concept of multi culturizaion which nationalism embraced in franc is effacing a transformation, the fact that the nation still encourages the phenomenon notwithstanding. The process which also affected the nations economically has the possibility of fading in the future, thanks to the dynamic nature of the society. Works Cited Crowdy, Terry, and Patrice Courcelle. French Revolutionary Infantry, 1789-1802. Oxford: Osprey, 2004. Internet resource. Fraioli, Deborah A. Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years War. Westport (Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2005. Print. France: The Growing Popularity Of Nationalism?." Stratfor Analysis (2013): 22. Business Source Complete. Web. 2 Apr. 2014. James, Edward. "The Merovingians From The French Revolution To The Third Republic." Early Medieval Europe 20.4 (2012): 450-471. 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National Identities in France. New Brunswick, N.J: Transaction Publishers, 2011. Internet resource. Waters, Sarah. "The 2008 Economic Crisis And The French Narrative Of National Decline: Une Causalité Diabolique." Modern & Contemporary France 21.3 (2013): 335-354. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Apr. 2014 Read More