Abstract
The chapter examines name change as an exceptional practice through which the pervasive power of banal nationalism becomes apparent. The administrative procedure to ‘Germanise’ formerly ‘Russian’ names of ethnic immigrants at the moment of their admission is considered as a powerful instrument of ‘national normalisation’ aiming to make the newcomers blend into mainstream conceptions of ‘Germanness’. At the same time, the analysis of the use of names in everyday life contexts shows how renamed individuals pragmatically deal with these normalising constraints. By hiding or revealing their potentially stigmatising migration background according to the contingencies of their everyday experiences, they engage in ‘identity management’ practices. Overall, the empirical focus on this specific case allows to examine the subtle interplay between dominant conceptions of nationhood and individual agency.
Amended version for a contribution to the edited volume: ‘Everyday Nationhood: Theorising Culture, Identity and Belonging after Banal Nationalism’.
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Wallem, G. (2017). The Name and The Nation: Banal Nationalism and Name Change Practices in the Context of Co-ethnic Migration to Germany. In: Skey, M., Antonsich, M. (eds) Everyday Nationhood. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57098-7_5
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