“Don’t Confuse Patriotism with Nationalism”: A Literature Review and an Analysis of Two Domains of Post-WWII Nationalism in Germany

Authors

Ashton E. Krueger, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Committee Members

Edward Dawson, Marc Pearce

Date of this Version

3-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

An undergraduate honors thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of University Honors Program requirements

Psychology and German, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

March 15, 2021

Faculty mentors: Edward Dawson and Marc Pearce

Comments

Copyright 2021, Ashton E. Krueger. Used by permsision

Abstract

This thesis includes a literature review that is an examination of nationalism and patriotism as psychological constructs as well as an analysis of two post-World War II domains of nationalism in Germany. In the psychological literature, there is a very important distinction to be made between the concepts of nationalism and patriotism. As nationalism and patriotism remain relevant areas of study by scholars due to more global citizens than ever before, it is vital to understand the distinction between the two. The goal of the literature review is to demonstrate how nationalism and patriotism differ substantially, how patriotism also takes on various forms, how major determinants such as socialization contribute to nationalism, how certain brain structures function with each construct, how these concepts change over time, and how both relate to the degradation of outgroups in very different ways. By clarifying factors that are significantly related to nationalism such as socialization and degradation of outgroups, the analysis of two post-World War II domains of nationalism in Germany builds upon this psychological foundation by considering how fairy tale films and soccer both foster and display nationalism. Using films, the goal of the analysis is to argue that nationalistic themes are depicted in fairy tales films and the game of soccer. The various facets include for the fairy tales, superiority over other countries and anti-capitalism, and for soccer, the intense emotional identification and the us versus them dynamic of exclusion. This thesis contends how nationalism is not a thing of a past; it is still present today.

Faculty mentors: Edward Dawson and Marc Pearce