Nationalism Douze Points

The common view holds that Eurovision is a contest
aiming to produce cultural uniformity and unable to
perform our national distinctiveness. Arguing
against such a claim, the present study attempts to
identify the ways in which national identities are
reproduced on stage by focusing on the Turkish and
Greek case. Nationalism is not merely a political
ideology or a stir of irrational feelings but rather
a way of thinking which shapes and in turn is shaped
by the social milieu. It goes without saying that
national identities are neither natural facts nor
fixed but evolving and fluid categories. Departing
from a social constructionist point of view, the
study attempts to examine how Turks and Greeks
particularly produce their identities through the
discursive reproduction of their national myths and
culture. Claims we make about us and others
constitute our identity and signify the
naturalization of nationalism as a particular
language of making sense of the social world.

Autorentext

Alexandros Kampouris is a graduate of Philosophy at ThessalonikiAristotle University and International Relations at IstanbulBilgi University. His research interests lie in nationalism andnational identities in Turkey and Greece.

Klappentext

The common view holds that Eurovision is a contestaiming to produce cultural uniformity and unable toperform 'our' national distinctiveness. Arguingagainst such a claim, the present study attempts toidentify the ways in which national identities arereproduced on stage by focusing on the Turkish andGreek case. Nationalism is not merely a politicalideology or a stir of irrational feelings but rathera way of thinking which shapes and in turn is shapedby the social milieu. It goes without saying thatnational identities are neither natural facts norfixed but evolving and fluid categories. Departingfrom a social constructionist point of view, thestudy attempts to examine how Turks and Greeksparticularly produce their identities through thediscursive reproduction of their national myths andculture. Claims 'we' make about 'us' and 'others'constitute 'our' identity and signify thenaturalization of nationalism as a particularlanguage of making sense of the social world.