National Identity and Social Cohesion in a Time of Geopolitical and Economic Tension: Australia - European Union - Slovenia (in English)
Synopsis "National Identity and Social Cohesion in a Time of Geopolitical and Economic Tension: Australia - European Union - Slovenia (in English)"
This book explores aspects of identity in the Australian, Slovenian and European Union (EU) context. The book draws on citizenship, immigration, rights and private laws that underpin their respective identities.The book highlights how every nation state has established its own national identity. Australia and Slovenia are no different. What is different is the fact that Slovenia is part of the European Union (EU), and their national identity is influenced by the EU. The EU has established a supernational identity. The EU, Australia and Slovenia continue to develop their respective identities, although they are quite different. A national and regional identity (of the EU) includes, but is not limited to language, culture, religion, democracy and its institutions, and the rule of law. Identity is a contested concept and can invoke different responses. Identity, in part, makes an important contribution to social cohesion. Part of a state?s national identity is conferred through citizenship. This has been achieved by the state (including the EU) through their respective legal framework, which includes citizenship, immigration, rights and private international laws. These laws are used by to reinforce, underpin and strengthen identity, and bring the community together. This book will discuss the public and private aspects of citizenship.The dichotomy in the modern era, is the need for states to continually balance their economic and nationalist ambitions with laws that encourage immigration, citizenship, rights and private activities. That is, the principles of these laws appear to be well settled. It is the national, regional and international political overlay that, challenges the way states develop these laws. Over the past century, these laws have been liberalized, although as society changes, these laws have been tightened to strengthen the expression of national identity and social cohesion. A more pervasive dichotomy is the challenges states and the EU are likely to face in the future to retain and even strengthen their respective identities and social cohesion from continued geopolitical shocks, economic volatility and environmental degradation. These alone pose some of the most complex political and policy issues facing all nation states. However, the EU can be held up as a polity that, has developed an identity and level of cohesion, while allowing member states to retain their national identities. It has, to date, also been successful in holding back the rise of nationalism and nationalist practices, up until the last decade. However, the rise of nationalism has emerged in some member states over the past 5 years. In other words, the very foundations of liberal democracy could be diluted from the impact of these challenges. The basic foundations of rights have, in part, already been diluted from the rise of terrorism, which is acceptable, however, the geopolitical differences pose a significant challenge, in, and of themselves. Finally, this book aims to enrich the thinking and discussion in relation to the importance that citizenship, immigration, rights and private laws play in the modern world, in a time when social cohesion is being challenged.
