ABSTRACT
Nations, as Benedict Anderson famously observed, are imagined communities. Yet, in most modern societies, their existence is all but taken for granted. How do nations come to shape our collective imagination so powerfully? Part of the answer, this chapter argues, has to do with popular culture. Unpacking the connections between nationalism and film, television, music, and other facets of popular culture can therefore help us to understand the power and continuing appeal of nationalism. However, while the nationalism literature has dealt extensively with other manifestations of culture, it has paid less attention to popular culture. This chapter suggests that the recent emergence of “quotidian” perspectives on nationalism opens new possibilities of engaging with popular culture. The chapter concludes by outlining the thematic emphases of the volume as a whole: geopolitical contexts and national identity; national belonging; the circulation of nationalism within and across borders; and the contestation of national narratives.
