ABSTRACT
English as a discipline is not a neutral subject; in English, ideas about individual, communal and national identity and society, culture and politics meet, mix and often become indistinguishable from each other. This chapter explores the complicated interaction between English, politics and identity and explains why English is often a controversial 'battleground' subject. Both literature and political speech are in language; both deal with argument, feelings and values; both are concerned with ideas about society and our place in the world. The two are inextricably linked. Crucially, English is intimately involved with questions about identity because identity is constructed culturally. Communities exist in the imagination, built upon by a shared stock of images, ideas, stories and traditions. English is a site of controversy because it is an inherently political subject. Issues of representation within English courses are increasingly seen as important in the wider world, so the subject is a focus for those interested in such issues.
