It starts by discussing Cool Cymru, which Harris describes as "an oxymoron" and says that Wales has natural beauty but is "considered something of a remote, tribal backwater" (Harris, 2007:152). However, in 1999 when they hosted the Rugby World Cup, there was a growing sense of optimism along with the construction of the Milennium Stadium in Cardiff. This saw a regeneration in the dockland area of the city as well. Barcelona saw a similar serge in rejuvenation after they hosted the 1992 summer Olympics, including the developments of areas such as Port Vell. In the 1990s, Cool Britannia saw the emergence of the Britpop scene, which included the rise of popular bands such as Pulp, Blur and Oasis. Wales gained "increased visibility and credibility within the popular realm" through bands such as Catatonia, the Stereophonics and the Manic Street Preachers (Harris, 2007: 152). There was the already popular Tom Jones, who for his Reload album in 1999 recorded duets with Catatonia's Cerys Matthews and the Stereophonics.
Anderson begins by examining Marxist/socialist views of nationalism and how nation, nationality and nationalism are "notoriously difficult to define" (Anderson, 2006: 3). It is somewhat incompatible with the desired new social order of brotherhood and comradeship. Anderson suggests that "nationalism has proved an uncomfortable anomaly for Marxist theory and, precisely for that reason, has been largely elided, rather than confronted” (2006: 3). Nairn is quoted in saying that “The theory of nationalism represents Marxism’s greatest historical failure”.
Even though in 1983 Anderson refers to conflicts between Marxist regimes which marginally owe something to nationalism, nowadays there are no more federations. Most of them broke up, along lines of nationhood around the time of the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in the early 1990s.
Anderson also mentions imagined communities and the fact that you may never meet or know everybody in a small village. He quotes from Seton-Watson in Nations and States – “All that I can find to say is that a nation exists when a significant number of people in a community consider themselves to form a nation, or behave as if they formed one” (Seton-Watson, n.d.) To put this into sporting terms, this is like wanting an athlete representing Great Britain in the Olympics to beat someone else in, say, the kayaking, even though you have no idea who they are. It is simply because of the Union Jack, or its blue equivalent this summer, thanks to Stella McCartney. In terms of football, I want England to beat Argentina, even if it means cheering for Rooney, Terry or Cole who I hate every other weekend. However, for me being a Newcastle United fan, this means booing two of my favourite players – Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas Gutierrez. But, the rest of the time I would applaud them with the black and white shirt on.
About 15 months ago, I was a stranger in a strange land, sitting in the Sydney Cricket Ground cheering loudly for a group of South Africans, albeit wearing three lions on their shirt. This was in the name of patriotism (nay, nationalism), to beat the Aussies at their chosen game and in their country. How they wallowed not in their scandalized press and TV. One of the most memorable headlines was on 27th December in the Daily Telegraph, where they took the famous poster from 1882 which originally had the words "In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at the Oval on 29th August 1882...N.B.-The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia". They replaced them with "In affectionate remembrance of Australian cricket which died at the MCG on 26th December 2010...N.B.- The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to England".Now, once again I am a stranger in a strange land. However, this time I saw the benevolent host in reverse, a triumph in their chosen national sport. This is a glorious era for Wales. They were unquestionably the best "home" nation at the 2011 Rugby World Cup and have recently won their third 6 Nations Grand Slam in 8 years. Bendict Anderson in Imagined Communities said that Wales was a post-industrial recognition. Yet, it did create a divide, the south more associated with industry. For many years before 2005, they had struggled in rugby against their "Big Brother", even though their nation sport has long been regarded as football. There is a parallel involving another country which regards rugby union as its national sport. However, New Zealand were dominated especially in the late 1990s and early 2000s by their rival, a nation whose national sport, as previously mentioned, is cricket. Both Wales and New Zealand celebrate rugby like a religion.
Wales is an imagined community in terms of Anderson's definition, but the divisions between north and south people, whether or not they speak Welsh, are emphasized by the mutual remoteness of individuals in their imagined nation. Do you actually have to be Welsh to represent Wales? No, there is a New Zealander representing them. The example of this is Grannygate and the eligibility of individuals to represent certain nations (Shane Howarth and Brett Sinkinson for Wales).
Everybody has their own opinion of nationalism. Do you have to be born in the country you represent? Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott were both born in South Africa, but represent England. However, one member of England's Ashes winning team in 2005, Geraint Jones, has returned to play for the country of his birth, Papau New Guinea. But does this matter if you are a supporter? Sometimes, winning is all that matters, no matter who is taking part...
Reference list
- Anderson, B. (2006) Imagined Communities. London: Verso. Chapter 1.
- Harris, J. (2007) Cool Cymru, Rugby Union and an Imagined Community, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, (27)3/4: pp. 151-162.
- Seton-Watson (n.d.) Nations and States, quoted in Anderson, B. (2006) Imagined Communities. London: Verso. Chapter 1.
- Anderson, B. (2006) Imagined Communities. London: Verso. Chapter 1.
- Harris, J. (2007) Cool Cymru, Rugby Union and an Imagined Community, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, (27)3/4: pp. 151-162.
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