This article critically analyzes the origins and nature of American nationalism. The first part examines the historiographical debate on the question in what period the formation of an American national identity occurred, i.e. before or after the American Revolution. The second part is concerned with the nature of American nationalism, casting doubt on the claim that American nationalism is exceptional, i.e. inherently different and morally superior to other nationalisms. It refutes the exceptionalist claim by applying recent findings in European nationalism research to the American case and by reinterpreting American nationalism not as an introspective phenomenon but as a demarcation process.

The origins and nature of American nationalism

State-controlled history education is used as a major tool in the development and strengthening of national identity, especially in newly independent states undergoing nation-building processes. The analysis of history education in Ukraine shows how it is employed to establish and transform modes and forms of national identity and to influences the formation of borders between nations. The research reveals that history education in Ukraine emphasises the idea of victimhood as the core of national identity and posits Russia as an oppressive and aggressive enemy. This article provides a basis for an early warning and resolution of identity-based conflicts.

Shaping unpredictable past: National identity and history education in Ukraine

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the normative function of historic narratives using the example of South Korean perceptions of twentieth-century history. The exploration of how relations between South Korea and Japan are perceived is based on 32 semi-structured interviews with academics, representatives of non-government organizations, and government officials in South Korea. The paper posits that the normative function of historical narratives is based on four mechanisms: (1) recognition: identifying problems in society that are associated with the aggressive and vicious actions of an outgroup in the past; (2) assessment: framing these problems as injustices; (3) connotation: establishing a specific meaning of national identity that promotes motivations for actions and agency (with specific duties and obligations); and (4) prescription: defining explicit strategies and tactics for action. An analysis of these mechanisms, which comprise the structure of historical narratives, reveals that ...

The normative function of national historical narratives: South Korean perceptions of relations with Japan

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/phr.2010.79.2.279

National History and the World of Nations: Capital, State, and the Rhetoric of History in Japan, France, and the United States. By Christopher L. Hill . (Durham, N.C., Duke University Press, 2008. xvi + 352 pp. $24.95 paper)

Lloyd Kramer

Papers

National History and the World of Nations: Capital, State, and the Rhetoric of History in Japan, France, and the United States. By Christopher L. Hill . (Durham, N.C., Duke University Press, 2008. xvi + 352 pp. $24.95 paper)