To die for the homeland? Notes on national identity

Abstract

This article analyses the matter of cultural identities restrained during the formation of the National State. The emphasis on national unity blocked the recognition of cultural diversity. The appeal to die for the homeland is present in almost all Latin American countries’ national anthems. National literature during Romantism enhanced the exuberance of nature and prioritized texts of instrumental use to the formation of National States. In the case of Brazil, where national independence was reached without war, the role of nature was overestimated to the detriment of History and reappears today mixed with the conscience of the need for environmental preservation. This article retrieves the issue of national identity now in the light of globalization and shows how the current weakening of the Nation-State brings about a revival of cultural identities which had been repressed during the development of the National State. The basic structures of the National State created by the Westphalia Treaty in 1648 – territory, sovereignty and autonomy – are collapsing and several global governance arrangements are being established. As a result, the notions of homeland and national identity lose their political dimension and become a purely cultural reference. Keywords: national identity; homeland; death; nature; History; globalization