Studies on National Movements

Abstract

Emotions are, in a way, intrinsic to nationalism and belong to a nation’s ontology. They are part of the relation an individual has with the nation, and nations can even be seen as ‘emotional communities.’ In more general terms, the significance of emotions for politics has increasingly been recognized. In addition, the ‘emotion’ approach can be associated with an emphasis on the personal meanings of nationalism. Anthony Cohen’s notion of ‘personal nationalism’ underlines the individual interpretations of nationalism, their link to selfconstruction and the attempt to understand ‘personal sentiments’ linked to nationalism. Drawing from this background, new perspectives can arise by explicitly connecting the analysis of gender, emotions and nationalism with each other, and by bringing them to the level of concrete lives and relationships. This article provides an analysis of a family circle involved in nationalistic activities that ties together all of these aspects.

Keywords: emotions, nationalism, nation, emotional communities, social ties

How to Cite:

Eiranen, R., (2019) “Emotional and Social Ties in the Construction of Nationalism: A Group Biographical Approach to the Tengström Family in nineteenth-century Finland”, Studies on National Movements 4(1), 38. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/snm.85388