The Construction of National Identity—A 23-Nation Study

Abstract

A theory has been advanced that the construction of national identity derives, in part, from a negotiation between a nation’s Selbstbild (or the nation’s national consciousness, or the image its citizens have of their country) and a nation ’s Fremdbild (or the nation’s perceived or actual international image in world opinion). This article tests the theory using survey data on 23 nations, from the International Social Survey. The project proceeds in four steps. The first step uses factor analysis to generate measures of national consciousness and pride, and perceived international image and orientation; the relationship between these measures is established. The second step involves generating indices that measure the ways in which respondents define their relationship to their country. These measures fall into two groups—measures of allegiance to the nation, considered as an ethnic or religious entity, and measures of allegiance to the state, considered as a set of institutions and laws. The relationships among these measures are also established, and correlated with Selbstbild, or national pride. The third step involves generating indices of tolerance of diversity and immigration. These measures are then correlated with the measures of perceived international reputation, or Fremdbild. The resulting model defines a complex relationship among factors of national-focused and international-focused perspectives, all of which combine in the negotiation of national identity. Finally, the study concludes by analyzing the variations in these measures across the 23 nations in the survey, and testing whether religious culture affects the construction of national identity.