This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Gibson, S. Articles by Abell, J. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

For Queen and Country? National Frames of Reference in the Talk of Soldiers in England

Jackie Abell

Lancaster University. jackie.abell{at}lancaster.ac.uk

Social scientists frequently use the iconic figure of the soldier who fights and dies for the nation to exemplify the power of processes of national identification. However, little work has considered how soldiers themselves orient to the possibility of being motivated by a desire to ‘serve the country’. The present study explored this through a series of interviews with members of the British Army and Territorial Army. Although in explicit talk about ‘the country’ the soldiers typically downplayed the importance of ‘serving the country’ as motivation, in discussing the prospect of a European army the national basis of armies was taken for granted. The findings are discussed in terms of the problematic nature of displays of English ‘patriotism’ or ‘pride’. It is argued that the relationship between national identity and military service, often assumed to be straightforward in social scientific texts, is oriented to as a delicate issue by soldiers themselves.

Key Words: armed forces • England • Europe • military service • national identity • soldiers

Human Relations, Vol. 57, No. 7, 871-891 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/0018726704045769


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?