“We don’t live in a bubble” is an expression we have often heard at rallies or other conferences with regards to our obligations and responsibilities in the care and welfare of human beings, other creatures on the planet, and even the earth itself. Rarely would a person argue that air pollution, for instance, does not harmfully affect an animal or another person. A sense of moral or ethical obligation, therefore, is reinforced through a healthy sense of community, guiding our actions (or should be guiding them) respectfully towards the people with whom we work, learn, live, etc. Although we may never meet the majority of the people in our community, which may be defined here as local or national, we nevertheless feel inextricably connected to them because their life actions affect ours, and vice versa, through (but not limited to) organizational outreaches, votes, and by other means such as international, national, and local media communications.
Benedict Anderson, the author of Imagined Communities, written in 1983, propounds the theory that an imagined community is one in which it is impossible for each member to know everyone “face to face,” though they are members of, for example, an art community and share “similarities” within that area of human interest (Malikin 1). Anderson believes that the media, especially the first form of capitalist printing, helps breed these imaginings.
While it is certainly true that the mass media spread ideas of community on a large scale, one must consider that this is only natural, considering humans are the drivers of the communications machines, and humans inevitably gravitate to other humans. We are creatures with an insatiable curiosity about our fellow-beings (how else do the paparazzi survive?). Even on such a broad basis as nationality, there is a very basic, sometimes comforting knowledge, that no person is ever truly alone in his or her life journey. Familial/biological ties, common experiences, geographical location, and so on bind us to each other, and through these “communal” identifying factors we can also achieve personal identity.
As to how these communities are formed, especially national communities, the possibilities are endless. Language is one consideration, as Anderson proposes in his book, and especially the marketing of “national print-languages” (Malikin 1). Another consideration is the familial bond, which can be highlighted in the case of the ancient Hebrews who, according to their Scripture, were the descendants of Jacob (later “Israel), grandson of Abraham (Genesis). This family nation continues to exist today, though their nationality exists even beyond certain, limited geographical borders. On the opposite spectrum, the United States of America formed out of resistance to another nation, and was/is a melting pot of various families, ethnic groups, religions, cultures, and the list continues.
Regardless of the means by which these national communities were founded, we have the benefit in today’s world, especially in America, of feeling interconnected with humanity in our own homes, cities, states, and around the globe, via channels of mass communication. Although Anderson says that the media “create imagined communities,” it’s relevant to our times that say that these communities, though we cannot possibly interact personally with each individual who makes them up, are not imagined because what we do in Columbia, Missouri, does truly impact those who live in St. Louis or Kansas City, or beyond. The media has made possible greater interactions, actions that might only be through cyberspace, but can nevertheless make an impression on individual lives. If individuals look not at the geographical borders of nations, but balance “patriotism” – a sense of duty to look out for and provide for one’s friends, families, local acquaintances – with respect for all humans here and abroad, the human community will no longer be so fractured, or so greatly affected by the basic issues (war, starvation, illness) that plague many “nations” today.
Malikin, Polina (2009). “What is a ‘nation’?” With references to:
Anderson, Benedict (2006). Imagined Communities (New ed.). London, New York.
Interview with Benedict Anderson by Lorenz Khazaleh, University of Oslo website.
The New American Bible (1992). The Book of Genesis, Chapters 25, 27, 35.
Olivia, I like the hopefulness of your last sentence where you write about balancing nationalism with a general respect and concern for all of life and humanity. I also like your emphasis on the role and importance of "media" (mass communications) for the creation and understanding of community and nation.
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