The Slovenian National Self
The need to belong to a community has been a significant trait in our world throughout history, but the concept of national identity is a fairly modern one. With the start the industrial revolution, urbanization, mass communication, total war, and the decline of religion all played a part in creating the concept of national identity (NYT, 2018). It is impossible to create a single definition of national identity, but for the purpose of this paper, it can be described as the shared historical memories, traditions, and common culture of the citizens of a country that sets them apart from other nations. In her journal “National Identity and the ‘Other,’” author Anna Triandafyllidou asserts that in order for national identity to hold any meaning, there needs to be an “other” to contrast with (Triandafyllidou, 2010). These “significant others” are any other nation or community that is perceived as a threat to the integrity of the ingroup. Significant others can be internal, those who ...