Emil Iqbal What makes a nation?
Humans have always constructed divides between each other. These divides have been along lines of race, location, languages, religion etc. So one would think that a nation would just be division of a group of people along one or more of those basic lines. A quick examination of the United States negates this theory-- there are countless numbers of races, religions, languages, and heritages present here yet every citizen can say that they are part of this one nation. So if a nation is not just a clear cut characteristic division of people, what could it be? Maybe location? Americans (I'm using the United States out of familiarity) can live outside of this country for years and years yet still consider themselves as American. So the definition of locality may not be entirely helpful either. How about experience? People of a certain nation may define themselves as part of the nation based on their common experiences in life. This seems like an acceptable answer to our question. One example supporting this argument: immigrants may not ever feel entirely assimilated into their receiving nation because their life experiences are similar to their old nation, but their children more than likely will grow up as part of this new nation quiet easily because they share similar experiences as their peers since their birth.
A nation is composed of groups of people who all share common experiences in their life, such as food, lifestyles, culture, and language. The idea of a nation is very powerful. For the individual, it allows a person to create a support system of like-minded individuals around them. For the nation, it allows groups of people all to survive and continue to operate for the good of the whole. The nation then exists to foster the well-being of individuals, while individuals exists to ensure the nation continues to survive.
Humans have always constructed divides between each other. These divides have been along lines of race, location, languages, religion etc. So one would think that a nation would just be division of a group of people along one or more of those basic lines. A quick examination of the United States negates this theory-- there are countless numbers of races, religions, languages, and heritages present here yet every citizen can say that they are part of this one nation. So if a nation is not just a clear cut characteristic division of people, what could it be? Maybe location? Americans (I'm using the United States out of familiarity) can live outside of this country for years and years yet still consider themselves as American. So the definition of locality may not be entirely helpful either. How about experience? People of a certain nation may define themselves as part of the nation based on their common experiences in life. This seems like an acceptable answer to our question. One example supporting this argument: immigrants may not ever feel entirely assimilated into their receiving nation because their life experiences are similar to their old nation, but their children more than likely will grow up as part of this new nation quiet easily because they share similar experiences as their peers since their birth.
A nation is composed of groups of people who all share common experiences in their life, such as food, lifestyles, culture, and language. The idea of a nation is very powerful. For the individual, it allows a person to create a support system of like-minded individuals around them. For the nation, it allows groups of people all to survive and continue to operate for the good of the whole. The nation then exists to foster the well-being of individuals, while individuals exists to ensure the nation continues to survive.
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