National identity

The present study was aimed at examining concerns about the social effects of EFL learning, a challenging area of research which has not been discussed sufficiently. It tried to investigate the relationship between EFL learning and national identity. In addition, attempt was made to find a relationship between language motivation types and national identity. Furthermore, the role of two demographic variables, gender and age was examined. To this end, a sample consisting of 350 undergraduates studying at Allameh Tabataba'i University in Tehran took part in the study. A questionnaire on national identity and another one on language motivation types followed by an interview were the instruments used. The questionnaires had already been developed. However, there were some major modifications for the former which consisted of 30 items measuring national identity for all participants. The latter contained 42 items measuring language motivation types for only EFL learners. The Regression analysis, independent samples t-tests and a one-way ANOVA were run. The results revealed that claims over the harmful social effects of EFL learning were not arguably significant and it was found that among the eight language motivation types, going abroad and social responsibility were correlated with national identity. Furthermore, gender and age indicated significant differences among the participants' tendencies. The findings indicated that the social concerns about EFL learning are too pessimistic. So, materials developers, syllabus designers and teachers might consider the potentiality of some social elementsand demographic variables for the development of EFL learning.

This paper seeks to demonstrate how Haji Qadir Koyi’s poetry experienced three different stages in terms of form and content, through which Haji highlighted the discourse of Kurdish national identity. In the first stage, Haji used “Gazal” (sonnet), in which he imitated the rules of Persian classic poetry and the content of several Kurdish classic poets such as Nali and Salim. The second stage is a transitional period in which he stayed away from “Gazal” and used “Qasida” (long descriptive poem including “ode”) to express his nationalistic feelings. Exploring another form of poetry named “Masnavi” (couplet) in the last stage, Haji addressed and further enhanced the discourse of Kurdish nationalism as the political ideology by which Kurdistan could liberate itself from the dominance of both Ottoman and Persian empires. The paper indicates that how the employment of literary forms in Haji’s poetry was in close parallel with the process of changes in his thought and worldview regarding the status of the Kurdish nation.

The UK’s departure from the EU is a pivotal moment in the history of Europe. The United Kingdom and the European Union has a longstanding relationship going back to 1973; however, against all expectations, in a referendum on June 23, 2016, the British people voted to leave the EU. According to the referendum result, more than 51.9% of the voters voted to leave. There is a hypothesis that British national identity can be the source of UK hostility to European integration. The main question to be posed here is that, how the unique formation of British identity drove the majority of people to vote in favour of leaving the EU in the 2016 referendum. In order to achieve this objective, Social Identity Theory has been applied as the main theoretical framework. Moreover, this study employed a qualitative methodology, and data was gathered from the existing survey polls such as Ipsos MORI, Eurobarometer and British Social Attitudes (BSA) surveys. The findings of this paper indicated that British identity has not been Europeanised as much as other European countries yet, and Britain’s weak sense of European identity was a key contributor to the Brexit vote.

The two most important defining aspects of L1 national identity are language and social belonging that are manifested through the individual’s inclinations toward the mother tongue or the official language and the sociocultural heritage of the country in which people are living. Moreover, based on the available literature, L2 identity may also exert an influence over the L1 national identity; however, this claim has not been securitized through valid large-scale and comprehensive surveys. Therefore, this study sought to shed light on the relationship between various second language identity dimensions (SLID) and L1 national identity. A sample of 1018 Iranian EFL learners who were selected based on the purposive snowball sampling filled out a researcher-made and validated Multidimensional L2 Identity Questionnaire (MLIQ) and a National Identity Questionnaire (NIQ). Data analysis using multiple regression revealed that the constructed SLID model could significantly contribute to the L1 national identity. The results also showed that the following four dimensions of SLID were significant predictors of national identity: transitive vs. intransitive, convergent vs. divergent, homogeneous vs. heterogeneous, and active vs. passive dimensions. Among these, active vs. passive and convergent vs. divergent dimensions had strong contributions to explaining the degree of the L2 national identity. These findings can help EFL teachers and learners develop a positive L2 identity with balanced dimensions that also promotes L1 national identity

Textbooks in ELT perform different functions since their content can serve different purposes. Particularly, the content of textbooks can affect learners’ views to a great deal. Accordingly, designing ELT textbooks can generate much disagreement. Thus, textbook content is considered important and demands critical evaluation. This study explored the representation of national identity in the English Vision textbook series for Iranian senior high schools. For this aim, corpus analysis and content analysis were carried out, respectively, aimed at providing a description of the terms associated with nationalities, and describing aspects of national identity represented in the textbooks. The data in the corpus analysis phase were collected through obtaining frequencies of reference to nations and in the content analysis phase by means of a researcher-made checklist. Results revealed that Iranian identity is the most frequent aspect, for which 13 categories of reference were observed. Similarly, six major themes were found regarding aspects of national identity. This study offers implications for Iranian education policy-makers, textbook designers, and education practitioners.

Purpose: The current research was conducted with the aim of designing the national identity curriculum model for the second elementary school. Methodology: According to the nature and scope of the research, various qualitative methods were used to achieve the research objectives, which include: a) grounded theory, to design the national identity curriculum model in the elementary school; b) Thematic analysis method to determine the characteristics of elements of national identity in primary school textbooks to achieve the curriculum model of national identity. In part A, the community was studied by experts in the field of national identity, including experts in social sciences and educational sciences and upper education documents. The method of gathering information from experts was through semi-structured interviews with 36 teachers and experts. Also, the interviews were conducted based on the grounded theory in three stages of open, central, and selective coding, and the obtained concepts were classified into categories and subcategories. Findings: National identity curriculum model was presented in two dimensions of why and the necessity of national identity curriculum and how national identity curriculum in the form of a conceptual model, including the necessity and need (needs assessment), goals (general goal and partial goals), content (principles of content organization, content selection), teaching methods, learning, teacher's role, and evaluation methods. Conclusion: Among the features of this model, we can refer to being native, attention to individual, social, ethnic and national characteristics, being scientific, simplicity, originality, educational outlook and active approach in teaching and learning.

One of the most important factors in maintaining a nation's unity and integrity is national identity. If national identity is defined as a sense of belonging to a country whose citizens share a common language, land, cultural heritage, customs, emotions, memories, political system, beliefs, symbols, national heroes, history, economics, art and literature, and even religion, then this sense of belonging can be a source of national solidarity and unity. Governments all over the world take advantage of educational content at different educational levels to promote a common national identity among children and adolescents in order to maintain the existence and integrity of their own country. Based on national identity elements in the formal education of primary schools in Belgium, this study aimed to analyze the answers of Belgian primary school teachers and principals to a 25-item questionnaire (sent to 3,140 primary schools in three languages of English, French, and Dutch). The results of analyzing the survey results based on national identity elements contained in the educational content of primary schools indicated that the Belgian primary school teachers and principals seek to build a common national identity based on the constituents of Belgian nationality, even if they do not admit it verbally. Also Belgian government demonstrates that not only is not indifferent to national identity but it adopts programs and strategies to consolidate the national identity and build a unified nation based on Belgian values. This study employed desk studies, qualitative content analysis, and field studies to analyze the data obtained from questionnaires and direct observations.

Othering, as the basic political economy of identity construction, has been operative in human societies since ancient times, but it has been conceptually investigated only in recent times. Employing contrapuntal reading, the deconstructive strategy adapted by Edward Said from classic Western music, the present paper deals with the issue of identity politics in “Odysseus’s Tale of Trials” from Homer’s Odyssey to unravel the ideological subtext of this canonical romantic epic and give voice to the figures monsterized and suppressed by the hero and the narrative voice. It is argued that The Odyssey has significantly contributed to the construction of Western subjectivity, giving a sense of national or cultural identity to both ancient Greek people and modern Western man via setting them in opposition to their others. However, upon a contrapuntal reading, Odysseus is no different from the so-called savage, barbarous, villainous others he confronts in his quest and the identity constructed for both parties is merely a matter of convention and discursive power. Thus, the findings of this study challenge the commonsensical identity politics at work in Western culture, in the hope of paving the way for further critical readings of such classical texts and reevaluating their translations.

This paper investigates the intricacies of crafting historical narratives within secondary school textbooks in Afghanistan throughout the past century. Employing critical discourse analysis, the study scrutinizes five compelling examples illuminating the complex interplay between historiography, political ideologies, and artistic subjectivity in shaping students’ conception of national identity. The first case centers on the invention of fictional historical figures like Amir Kror that link Afghan lineage to powerful dynasties, but lack scholarly rigor and threaten social cohesion. Second, the analysis explores identity distortions woven into textbook images that portray figures like Genghis Khan with distinctly Afghan features, blurring historical accuracy. Third, it highlights methodological limitations and potential regional biases that cloud academic debates on the origins of dynasties like the Kartids. Fourth, the construction of demographic averages regarding ethnicity and religion without empirical basis raises concerns about perpetuating damaging stereotypes. Finally, the ubiquitous name “Afghanistan” itself reveals imbalanced emphases on particular eras, shaping modern conceptions of nationhood. Collectively, these five examples underscore the need for responsible scholarship and factual precision in history education to foster authentic engagement with Afghanistan’s rich and diverse heritage. As the curriculum shapes students’ notions of identity and selfhood, commitment to academic accountability and balanced historiography becomes essential to nurturing inclusive discourse and national cohesion.

National identity is the highest level of collective identity in a society and a sense of adherence, attachment, and commitment to the national community, which is considered a part of collective identity. Since national identity plays a crucial role in national unity and political legitimacy, it is crucial to address this issue. As a prominent resistance figure and symbol of Iranian Islamic identity and counterterrorism, Qassem Soleimani founded a new school of national solidarity, promoted Shiite identity, mobilized resources, and became the basis for reproducing national identity in Iran. Therefore, the purpose of the current research was to explain the role of Qassem Soleimani's performance in the reproduction of the national identity of the Islamic Republic and to answer the question of what role Qassem Soleimani's performance had in the reproduction of the national identity in political, religious and territorial dimensions. The current research method was fundamental regarding the purpose and utilized the descriptive-analytical data collection approach. The results of the present study indicated that Qassem Soleimani, by creating a new school of thought, hegemonizing the discourse of resistance and Shiite religion, activating the protest of Muslims, and creating a cultural heartland among Shiites as a campaign strategy, caused the reproduction of national identity in the Islamic Republic.