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Seeing images of anti-lockdown protests in Manchester today being led by someone carrying the Union Flag brings to mind the article about everyday nationalism in the unsettled times of COVID I wrote with @jpaulgoode and @lisas_research earlier this year: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/nationalities-papers/article/everyday-nationalism-in-unsettled-times-in-search-of-normality-during-pandemic/2AC99C9E14C5B6D0B094194EB685CE1E https://twitter.com/TheMancUK/status/1335600375345393664
Among the many things we discussed was the idea that unsettled times, like the current pandemic, heighten the sentiments that lead to inclusion in/exclusion form solidarity in the community of the nation. Outrage at the govt. for betraying national interests betrays some of this
Signs like these resisting a "new normal" reflects another of our findings. While social movements theory predicts unsettled times lead to openings for radical change we suggest that in this pandemic a return to normalcy becomes itself a radical demand. https://twitter.com/Victoria_Payne/status/1335574017965764609?s=20
As we continue to navigate the pandemic, and hopefully look toward the development of vaccines as a way to move forward, understanding how the crisis mobilized ideas of what and who belonged to national communities is an important consideration.
Further, understanding how notions of ontological insecurity led to different expressions of national identity and demands of governments will also be key to understanding how we might respond to similar global challenges (e.g. climate change) in the future.
