Chapter 4

How Have People Reconciled Nationalist and Non-Nationalist Loyalties

Everyone's identity includes individual and collective loyalties. Some of these loyalties are nationalist loyalties, and others are non-nationalist. Non-nationalist loyalties are those that are not embedded in the idea of nation. For example, loyalty to your family or a sports team, is an example of a non-nationalist loyalty. However the divide between nationalist, and non-nationalist loyalties is not always clear. Some of the friends you have you many have chosen because of a similar taste in music, or you have a similar sense of humour. Others you may have chosen because of a similar sense of belonging to nation. Sometimes the divide between national and non-national loyalties is hard to determine. Here are some examples of non-nationalist loyalties.

Religion, Class, Region, Ideology, Cultural, Racial and Ethnic.

Often, non-nationalist loyalties contend with the idea of nationalist loyalties, or even other nationalist loyalties that people may have. This happens for many reasons, one of them being that these loyalties have different goals. When this happens, people work through it by developing different ways to reconcile these loyalties. They may for example

• choose to live with these contending loyalties
• choose one loyalty over another
• accommodate their non-nationalist loyalties

Living With Contending Loyalties

People who choose to live with their contending loyalties may choose to remain uninvolved for a number of reasons. They may,

• be undecided on how to resolve their contending loyalties
• believe that they cannot make a difference
• be occupied with other concerns

• believe that living with the contending loyalty is preferable to speaking out about the issue

Many people who remain uninvolved are the silent majority. But some people may pay a price for their actions. Someone else will make important decisions for them.

Choosing One Loyalty
When people choose one loyalty, they risk losing a large part of their identity, and from that, a part of who they are. When people do this it can lead to a feeling of alienation, of being an outsider. When religious or spiritual values and beliefs must be suppressed or hidden, people have a hard time sharing the collective part of their identity that makes them a part of their nation.

In summary, having to choose one non-nationalist loyalty over another does not always need to be the case when one has contending nationalist and non-nationalist loyalties. There are ways to reconcile them, and be able to live with two loyalties, that may conflict.

This cartoon shows a little bit about reconciling nationalist loyalties. Thanks to bitstrips.com.

Chapter 3

How Do Nationalist Loyalties Shape People's Choices?

Some synonyms for loyalty are commitment, faithfulness and devotion. Staying true to an idea, cause, nation or even yourself. When you are faced with a decision, they loyalties that you have can affect the choice that you make. Choices you make based on loyalty range from little decisions that require little thought to big decisions that require great sacrifice. Sometimes loyalty competes with your own interest.  For example, if two of your favourite sports teams are competing against each other in a tournament, which team are you going to choose to cheer for. Of course you like both teams, but you might feel that you have to be loyal to one team over the other. Your loyalties as a person and the beliefs and values you have might influence which team you choose over the other. This conflict represents a choice you might have to make based on loyalties.

Patriotism is defined as a love and devotion to one's country. Patriotism inspires feeling of love and hope in many people. Patriotism can show itself in the form of fighting for your country, parades and putting up a flag in or outside your home. Loyalty is a behaviour that can result from patriotism. A lot of the decisions we make based on loyalty involve our love and devotion to our country, or, patriotism.

Loyalties to your country can often greatly affect your decisions. For example, if you feel loyal to France, you might participate in a celebration on Bastille Day on July 14. If you are loyal to Canada, you might join a political party or environmental group. You can be loyal to one country, even though you are not immersed in that culture. You may be living in Canada, but still loyal to another nations such as Germany or Finland. Maybe your parents are from there and you feel as though that culture is a part of who you are. This is an example of how you can be loyal to a nation without being submerged in that culture constantly.

Contending loyalties, are loyalties that compete. Choosing between two loyalties can be difficult, and your attachments to those loyalties can influence your decisions. If you had two commitments which overlapped each other, you have to choose which one of them is the most important to you. You must consider which loyalties are important to you, and base your decision on those loyalties, and how they are involved in your life.