National And State Symbols

What is common between a royal Bengal tiger, a lotus, a mango, and the Ashok Chakra? All of these are symbols linked to the Indian identity and heritage. If you have ever had a chance to see the majestic royal Bengal tiger, you must have admired its grace, power, and strength. For these very qualities, it has been chosen as the national animal of India. A colourful peacock dancing in the rain looks breathtakingly beautiful. Do you know that this pretty creature is the national bird of India? Our country has many such symbols that are part of our culture and heritage. Most of these are related to the environment and biodiversity of India. This book discusses their conservation status and the efforts being made to protect them. It also carries the all-important message that nature is integral to our national identity.

After World War II Germans not only had to rebuild, they had to redefine their national political identity as well. This book traces how state symbols such as national colors, anthems, holidays, capital cities, and postage stamps were used to legitimize the two Germanies from 1949 to 1959. Although the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) developed distinct post-war identities, the one cannot be understood apart from the other, for they were in direct competition to define the same state symbols. The study of symbols offers valuable insights into the realms of identity formation and of politics, that is, how symbols can promote political integration. By examining the creation of state symbols and the processes by which they were established in the public realm, Feinstein evaluates the extent to which German political culture overcame the Nazi past to legitimize both a republican and a socialist system. This book is especially relevant to scholars who want to understand the common ground upon which the citizens of today’s unified Germany can construct a shared identity.

A fascinating look at national symbols worldwide and the important role they play in creating and maintaining individual and collective identity.

This book juxtaposes national anthems of thirteen countries from central Europe, with the aim of initiating a dialogue among the peoples of East-Central Europe. We tend to perceive a national anthem as a particular mirror, involuntarily reflecting an image of nation and homeland; but how does it represent the community for whom it sounds? To answer this question, the book deploys a comparative approach – anthems are presented in the light of those of neighbouring countries, with the conviction that one of the key features of true Europeanness is good relations between neighbours. The development trajectory of the modern nation is the context in which the book examines the history of such national symbols, alongside the symbolic content of poetry, images of the homeland and nation depicted in the anthems, as well as the sometimes longer processes which led to the adoption and legal codification of current state symbols. The Anthems of East-Central Europe will be a great resource for researchers, journalists, college and university students, politicians trying to impact emigrees from this region and emigrees themselves.

Michael Billig presents a major challenge to orthodox conceptions of nationalism in this elegantly written book. While traditional theorizing has tended to the focus on extreme expressions of nationalism, the author turns his attention to the everyday, less visible forms which are neither exotic or remote, he describes as `banal nationalism′. The author asks why people do not forget their national identity. He suggests that in daily life nationalism is constantly flagged in the media through routine symbols and habits of language. Banal Nationalism is critical of orthodox theories in sociology, politics and social psychology for ignoring this core feature of national identity. Michael Billig argues forcefully that with nationalism continuing to be a major ideological force in the contemporary world, it is all the more important to recognize those signs of nationalism which are so familiar that they are easily overlooked.

First published in Great Britain in 2016 by Elliott and Thompson Limited as: Worth dying for: the power and politics of flags.

1. Introduction 2. Climatic and Topographic Factors 3. Edaphic Factors (Soil Science)4. Biotic Factor 5. Ecological Adaptations 6. Autecology of Species 7. Population - Structure and Dynamics 8. Community-Structure and Classification 9. Community Dynamics (Ecological Succession)10. Ecosystem: Structure and Function 11. Habitat Ecology 12. Degradation of Natural Resources andthe Environmental Problems 13. Energy Crisis and Non-Conventional Sources 14. Biodiversity and Wildlife of India and its Conservation 15. Environment and Development-India's Viewpoint16. Global Warming and Climate Change 17.

Anthology of selections from the first two years of the webzine Subsol.