Is Patriotism Good or Bad?

This book talks about an array of subtopics pertaining to war. Being a veteran war correspondent, the author has witnessed many atrocities and has photographed it as well. He speaks upon the dangers of war some of which include upon corrupt politics, destroying culture, and riding of basic human desires and rights. This ties in with the harms of patriotism, making people blind to the real truth of war.

Parker addresses the importance that patriotism plays in predicting political attitudes and preferences. He states that it is a complex subject and not easy to understand, nor fully comprehend as it is still unresolved. He does go into explaining the difference between blind patriotism and symbolic patriotism. Symbolic representing something abstract, being attached to the nation by its core values. Whereas, blind patriotism is more concrete, having uncritical support for the country’s practices and policies it has in place. They may be different, but the outcome for both are relatively the same. The article goes into depth with this discussion.

I originally began my research paper as being the harms of patriotism, but the more I researched, the more it contradicted itself. This article shows the importance of patriotism in law, the different roles it plays, and the multiple areas of patriotism there really is. It isn’t all about supporting a country at war with another country, but it plays a vital role in believing certain laws can change, upholding democratic politics, and proper representation throughout. This article touches on these areas as well. The article mostly focuses on patriotism being properly understood by students at law school, to understand it being essential for upholding an American democracy and creating change within.

This article takes a different stance on patriotism. The author discusses what she believes is true, patriotism being good for our country but for one specific reason one may not agree with. She states that we have gone away too far from the “ideals and truths” that founded this country. Now, the rest of the article she speaks upon war veterans, troops, and basically anything pertaining to war. She then finishes by attempting to get the reader to join her in celebrating past war heroes and current soldiers. Which is respectable, but is this what patriotism is? A celebration of war? The love of one’s country signifies only thinking of war and anything related?

This article is about reaching a new understanding on patriotism. These students are attempting to figure out answers and choices that go above “feel-good patriotism.” They attempt to show the ability to think and have opposing ideas instead of simply choosing the politically correct ideal. Different students and even teachers share whar patriotism means to them, and it all varies. Some believe it involves one's ultimate commitment to the country, and another believes being a good citizen and getting involved with progress of its country.

This article’s main point comes from a study they conducted between Whites and Latinos on the topic of patriotism and threat, and how those two play a vital role on peoples’ immigration attitudes. They suggest that patriotism influences certain degrees of threat, and this threat drives the immigration attitudes one might have. The study showed that this link and attitudes are different between Whites and Latinos. The article also talks about the different types of patriotism, Latinos having the same level of patriotism as Whites but a different form of it. Public Policy is also discussed throughout the study.

References:

Kahne, Joseph, and Ellen Middaugh. “Is Patriotism Good for Democracy? A Study of High School Seniors’ Patriotic Commitments.” Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 87, no. 8, 2006, pp. 600-607. ProQuest, https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezp.pasadena.edu/docview/218489406?accountid=28371.

This article reflects seniors in high school and their meaning and beliefs when it comes to patriotism, as well as how it ties in with democracy. They discuss what they believe determines the students’ levels of patriotism aligning with the need of a democratic society. This analysis was to help students better understand patriotism that supports a democratic society, it’s values and practices as well. Lastly, they helped them create the bridge from one’s love for their country and progressive ideals.

McCleary, Daniel F., Meagan L. Nalls, and Robert L. Williams. ""Types of Patriotism as Primary Predictors of Continuing Support for the Iraq War.” Journal of Political and Military Sociology, vol. 37, no. 1, 2009, pp. 77-0_4. Web Article. ProQuest, https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezp.pasadena.edu/docview/1314367014?accountid=28371.

This article focuses on a study conducted of 230 undergraduate students’ responses to a survey which measured different forms of patriotism, war, civil liberties, and more. It showed that blind patriotism, specifically, was the primary reason why students showed support for the war in Iraq, much above constructive patriotism. It also goes into depth what stepwise regression and path analyses is, both tools they used while conducting this study and survey. It shows that there are different types of patriotism, and not all should be judged equally alike.

Parker, Christopher S. ""Symbolic Versus Blind Patriotism: Distinction without Difference?"" Political Research Quarterly, vol. 63, no. 1, 2010, pp. 97-114. ProQuest, https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezp.pasadena.edu/docview/215332713?accountid=28371, doi:https://dx.doi.org.ezp.pasadena.edu/10.1177/1065912908327228.

Player, Corrie, Lynne. “Patriotism is Good For All of Us.” The Spectrum, 2008:Print.

Parker, Richard D. ""Homeland: An Essay on Patriotism."" Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, vol. 25, no. 2, 2002, pp. 407-427. ProQuest, https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezp.pasadena.edu/docview/235188675?accountid=28371.

Vogt, Tom. ""Students Seek Understanding Beyond 'Feel-Good Patriotism'. ""Columbian, Jul 04, 2003, pp. A4. ProQuest, https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezp.pasadena.edu/docview/253181914?accountid=28371.

Willis-Esqueda, Cynthia. “Patriotism and the Impact on Perceived Threat and Immigration Attitudes.” The Journal of Social Psychology, vol 157, no. 1, 2017, pp. 114-125. Print.

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