ABSTRACT
In Chapters 2 and 3 I demonstrated that nationalism theories have either neglected or failed to grasp the impact of the Other on national identity formation and change. Most theorists have tended to take the existence of the Other for granted. Indeed, we are told that all identities are constituted in interaction, and most theorists concentrate on the internal features that characterise each nation or ethnic group and which (according to members of the nation, at least) render it unique and distinct from all others. On the other hand, studies that concentrate on boundary construction and maintenance tend to discuss the actual constitution of the boundary rather than its impact on the identity of the ingroup. My aim has been to challenge the assumption of the Other’s existence and to provide an analytical tool – the concept of the Significant Other – that may be helpful in investigating the relationship between the nation and salient outgroups.
