Blog Post 1

 National Identity has become one of the main ways we define ourselves in this century. It can be composed of many factors such as religion, language, culture, ethnicity, a shared history, or a shared set of values. These things can encourage a sense of belonging as they are shared throughout a nation. There are different theories as to how these distinctions came about and gained importance. Primordialism says that national identity is fully attributed to ties of blood. Modernists disagree and argue that the concept is new and socially constructed. National Identity gained prominence for four main reasons. Industrialization resulted in urbanization meaning many people were moving to cities, resulting in a stronger need for a common language. Technology such as trains and newspapers made mass communication faster and made people feel more interconnected. The rise in war made nations promote nationalism so people would feel the need to fight. Lastly, the decline of the church meant energy could be channeled into national identity.  There is a divide between civic and ethnic nationalism. Ethnic nationalism is more similar to primordialism in that it draws on blood ties. The nation is defined by a common ethnicity or lineage and a shared territory. Civic nationalism, on the other hand, is based around a shared set of values. National identity is strengthened by being set in opposition to alternative groups. These groups become the “other.” 

    Georgians’ national identity is highly based on language, religion, and ethnicity. It was also heavily influenced by its involvement in the Soviet Union. The Georgian language has a unique alphabet and the language family is Karto-Zan. This sets it apart from its neighboring states. Georgian is the official language and it is spoken by a vast majority of its citizens at 87.7%. There is also an official religion, Orthodox Christianity, with 83.5% of the nation. “Historically in Georgia, religion was seen to determine ethnicity” (Amirejibi, 2021). These two are specially linked and the country treats the Georgian Orthodox Church unequally above other religions.

Ethnic minorities are highly separated from the national identity of Georgia. These groups, mainly Azeri and Armenian, fear assimilation and the loss of their own identities. The separation of language causes alienation of this internal other. “Contemporary Georgia has a low level of what American sociologist Milton Bennett calls ‘intercultural sensitivity’—an awareness of the cultures and concerns of other groups” (Amirejibi, 2021). Georgians largely don’t recognize these groups as part of their nation. The Georgian Orthodox quality of the state causes tension with the LGBTQI+ community there. Gozalishvili tells the story of an anti-LGBT counter protest and recounts “… several topics and actors were discursively connected in a sort of ‘chain of equivalence’: (liberal) journalists, the EU, foreign embassies and local politicians on the one hand, and the Christian church and ethics, ordinary people (‘the majority’), traditional values and the issue of sovereignty on the other.” Lastly, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are separatist regions within Georgia. These would also be considered internal others.

Amirejibi, R., & Gabunia, K. (n.d.). Georgia’s minorities: Breaking down barriers to integration. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://carnegieeurope.eu/2021/06/09/georgia-s-minorities-breaking-down-barriers-to-integration-pub-84689

Campani, R. A., Digest, A., & Bruton, J. (2021, November 2). In Georgia, two versions of National Identity Clash. Fair Observer. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.fairobserver.com/region/europe/in-georgia-two-versions-of-national-identity-clash/