Introduction: Un/settled narrations: Nationalism in the Asia-Pacific

Norman VASU, Yolanda CHIN, Kam Yee LAW

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapters

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

National narratives – or the stories that nations convey to connect their past, present and future – are powerful and necessary tools in shaping national identity. Within such narratives, the ‘nation’ as a concept seeks to moderate diversity via the creation of a coherent unity that may sometimes appear to rely heavily on an essentialized narrative while at other times appear to be less so. Yet, regardless of ontological firmness, this is arguably a mere blanket over the differences that truly exist within and between communities. In these spaces lie endless pockets of identificational ambiguities continuously in need of discovery and critical discussion. This volume of investigative and exploratory essays aims to critically interrogate this nebulous space of adaptation, negotiation and reconceptualization of national identity by addressing the following questions: can nation states construct commonality via the discourse of nationalism while accommodating inter-communal differences? Who shapes the agenda and where are the sites of resistance? Do contending accounts of what a nation stands for work for or against the nation-building project? Copyright © 2014 selection and editorial material, Norman Vasu, Yolanda Chin and Kam- yee Law; individual chapters, the contributors.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationNations, national narratives and communities in the Asia-Pacific
EditorsNorman VASU, Yolanda CHIN, Kam-yee LAW
Place of PublicationAbingdon
PublisherRoutledge
Pages1-8
ISBN (Electronic)9781134598175
ISBN (Print)9780415819725
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014

Citation

Vasu, N., Chin, Y., & Law, K.-y. (2014). Introduction: Un/settled narrations: Nationalism in the Asia-Pacific. In N. Vasu, Y. Chin, & K.-y. Law (Eds.), Nations, national narratives and communities in the Asia-Pacific (pp. 1-8). Abingdon: Routledge.

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