"We can hear each other's thoughts". Collective, governmentality and the question of origin

• The aim of this paper is to discuss different definitions and usages of concepts of nation, state, nation state, race and ethnie. For example, race is generally agreed to be a social construction, but the Swedish word “ras” has stronger biological connotations than the English “race”. Racial discourses contain a complicated and changing relationship between nature and culture, which makes differentiation between “race” and “ethnie” a hair-splitting activity. The concepts of nation, state and nationalism have also proven difficult to define. Furthermore, there are no simple criteria defining Europe’s geographic or symbolic borders, since there has never been one Europe. For example, when Estonians or Poles say are pleased to be part of Europe again, what does it mean? Did they at some point stop being European? Or, does the word “European” only signify “member of EU”? Richard Dyer, in his book White (1997), asks if the white man really knows he is white. Dyer makes a distinction between white as color, skin color and symbol. The conflation of the different meanings of whiteness enables images of white supremacy and distinctions or ranking between different white ethnicities. Popular culture and media in general play an important role in discourses about origin, human nature, culture, in-groups and out-groups. Some whites are clearly whiter than other whites, just as some Swedes are more Swedish than other Swedes.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Internationell migration och etniska relationer (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- International Migration and Ethnic Relations (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

nation

state

race

ethnicity

social class

gender

whiteness

Ethnicity

Etnicitet

medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap

Communication Studies

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kap (ämneskategori)