Rethinking Stateless Nations and National Identity in Wales and the Basque Country

Description

This book looks at the fundamental components of national identity as understood by ordinary nation members, and the way in which it is mobilised by political elites. Drawing on an original case comparison between Wales and the Basque Country, the author suggests there are many commonalities between these two nations, particularly around the fundamentals of their national identities. However, differences occur in terms of degree of intensity of feeling and around the politicisation of identity, with more entrenched and hostile political positioning in the Basque Country than Wales. Through a multi-level comparison, the book generates insights into national identity as a theoretical concept and in a ‘stateless nation’ context. It argues for national identity's intangible, yet polemical, nature, looking at the primordialist way it is understood, its permanence and importance, coupled with its lack of everyday salience and consequent obligations. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvi Introduction (Sophie Williams)....Pages 1-13 Stateless Nations Reconceptualised: Theoretical Framework and Choosing Wales and the Basque Country (Sophie Williams)....Pages 15-78 Ordinary Conceptualisations of Welshness and Basqueness (Sophie Williams)....Pages 79-142 Political Conceptualisations of Welshness and Basqueness (Sophie Williams)....Pages 143-207 Comparing Stateless Nations: Insights from Wales and the Basque Country (Sophie Williams)....Pages 209-224 Conclusion (Sophie Williams)....Pages 225-241 Back Matter ....Pages 243-274