Crise d\u27Identite : The Push to Preserve National Identity in France

In 2010, France\u27s President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed a Maison de l \u27histoire de fa France, a heritage museum, as reporters began calling it, to be opened in Paris in 2015. President Sarkozy\u27s speechwriter on issues of national identity has cast the museum as an answer to France\u27s identity crisis .\u27 The project\u27s aim, as President Sarkozy has articulated it, is to reinforce national identity, warning as well, It is always dangerous to forget your history.t It is exactly this fear, the fear of forgetting France\u27s rich history, which has spurred controversy and upheaval within the French republic. The extent to which President Sarkozy\u27s proposal has struck a nerve in the French population is evidenced by the extensive protest against the Maison, notably from the academic sphere. Several historians signed letters that were published in Le Monde, speaking against this promotion of official history and its propagation as a political tool. One letter points specifically to the creation and promotion of national identity as problematic to academic historical pursuits. The letter states, Si l\u27echelle privilegiee est celle d\u27une France rabougrie, c\u27est, en consequence, moins le resultat d\u27une reflexion pedagogique, savante et critique que de la mise en place d\u27un projet fonde sur la peur de l\u27autre et que Ie pouvoir exprime dans un mouvement de repli sur soi.,,3 For the historians who signed this letter, the national identity to be promoted by this museum would represent less a celebration of French history and more the assertion of a French identity that diminishes the multitude of different histories that compose an increasingly diverse national identity. Addressing exactly this concern, immigrant organizations have also staged protests throughout Paris, denouncing the propagation of an official French history that they argue fails to incorporate their stories, often with roots in countries beyond France, into the mosaic of French national history. The problem with the proposed museum, from their perspectives, is the legitimization of a singular national history, one that implies a definitive version of the history that defines France, and French citizens, in the past and as they exist today

The Impact of Crises on Rebuilding the National Image: The Paradox of Nigeria’s Rebranding

This paper sets out to examine the ideals of rebranding in the national image rebuilding process, fetching examples from Nigeria’s experience. The discourse also examines the concepts of image and the impact of anti-social behaviour of citizens on the nation’s image within the international community. This includes indiscriminate imaging of violence or crime scenes through photographs and written reports by citizens of the country. The paradox of the development of indiscriminate imaging and reporting of violence through photographs is antagonistic to Nigeria’s image rebranding project. This paper acquires data through observational and analytical methods. This paper concludes that the rebranding of Nigeria and other African nations where violence, corruption, and anti-social behaviours strive is almost impossible until there is a change in the attitude of the citizens. The paper recommends that the war against corrupt practices, suicide bombings, and terrorist attacks on innocent citizens of Nigeria should be a collective effort of every Nigerian who wishes the country’s image well, otherwise the country will continually suffer the risk of perpetual alienation effect

Capital Flows in a Globalized World: The Role of Policies and Institutions

We describe the patterns of international capital flows in the period 1970 - 2000. We then examine the determinants of capital flows and capital flows volatility during this period. We find that institutional quality is an important determinant of capital flows. Historical determinants of current legal institutions have a direct effect on foreign investments. Policy plays a significant role in explaining the changes in the level of capital flows over time and their volatility.

Shaw, William H

Stanford University, Philosophy, 1970, A.B. London School of Economics and Political Science, Politics, 1976, Ph.D.https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/erfa_bios/1269/thumbnail.jp

The present state of legislative theory and a proposal for remedying its sad condition

Draft document from the Seidman's Legislative Theory course at Boston University about the current state of legislative theory and recommendations on how to improve this process