Thank god, I'm back!: (Re)defining the nation as a homely place in relation to journeys abroad

Article


Skey, M. 2011. Thank god, I'm back!: (Re)defining the nation as a homely place in relation to journeys abroad. Journal of Cultural Geography. 28 (2), pp. 233-252.
AuthorsSkey, M.
Abstract

Growing individual mobility has been a key element in the re-evaluation of the links between (national) place and identity in what has been labelled a 'borderless world'. In this paper, an alternative perspective is provided by exploring the ways in which discussions around travel are used to redefine the nation as a bounded, familiar and homely place.
In the first section, a number of key themes in the wider literature on ‘home’ are identified and applied to the nation, notably the idea that ‘homely spaces’ are imagined and experienced in relation to journeys elsewhere. This idea is then evidenced by a range of empirical data, which shows how individuals are often made aware of their own national identity and allegiances, when negotiating encounters with other people and cultural forms.
In discussing the discomfort and uncertainty they experience in ‘foreign’ locales, the national home is defined as a secure base from which to proceed from and, most importantly, return to. Interestingly, these types of views were expressed by a range of social actors, ranging from college students, who travelled widely and with great enthusiasm, to retired people, who were increasingly restricted in their ability to visit foreign locales.

Keywordsnational identity; ontological security; globalisation
JournalJournal of Cultural Geography
Journal citation28 (2), pp. 233-252
ISSN1940-6320
0887-3631
Year2011
PublisherTaylor & Francis
Accepted author manuscript
License
CC BY-ND
Web address (URL)http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08873631.2011.583437
Publication dates
Print06 Jul 2011
Publication process dates
Deposited02 Nov 2012
Copyright informationThis is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Journal of Cultural Geography Volume 28, Issue 2, 2011 [copyright Taylor & Francis], available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08873631.2011.583437
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Accepted author manuscript
20130106_Skey_English.doc
License: CC BY-ND

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