Furthermore, this process of defining 'national identity' can also be seen in how country a 'remembers'. With this years failure of qualifying for the World Cup, the main Dutch news broadcast mentions that this brings back memories of the so-called 'the dark 1980s'1 where the article goes into extensive detail when the Dutch soccer team did not qualify for the World Cup either (NOS, 2017, October 11). The language used resembles the idea of collective memory, which is used in creating boundaries of one's nation in comparison to others. Collective memory or as Jan Assman also uses the term 'cultural memory' says that this memory has a 'fixed point; its horizon does not change with the passing of time. These fixed points are fateful events of
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The example of Germany winning against the Netherlands, it creates and re-establishes the Us vs. Them feeling. This tension between the various countries does not seem to be that significant, yet it does reinforce national stereotypes and can be used to establish one's superiority over another country, even if it is in a small way. One can even argue that this reinforced national feeling is one that can be seen during a war. Michael Billig sees a connection between warfare and sport in terms of nationalism and language used to portray the country (Billig, 1995;123) and to a certain extent this is true in relation to the rivalries between the countries in competitions. It does not reach the height of actual warfare, yet it is significant that there is a …show more content…
The fact that the male soccer team is the main team in The Netherlands to 'represent the country' highlights not only the irony that soccer seems to be crucial to the Dutch 'national identity,' but that the women's soccer national team is not considered to be as important in 'representing the country'. One can argue that the sports connection to warfare is highlighted in terms of gender as it shows the traditional tendency of the man 'fighting' for the country and the women cheering them on. Although more attention is given to women's sport nowadays, the male soccer team still has this sense of
The example of Germany winning against the Netherlands, it creates and re-establishes the Us vs. Them feeling. This tension between the various countries does not seem to be that significant, yet it does reinforce national stereotypes and can be used to establish one's superiority over another country, even if it is in a small way. One can even argue that this reinforced national feeling is one that can be seen during a war. Michael Billig sees a connection between warfare and sport in terms of nationalism and language used to portray the country (Billig, 1995;123) and to a certain extent this is true in relation to the rivalries between the countries in competitions. It does not reach the height of actual warfare, yet it is significant that there is a …show more content…
The fact that the male soccer team is the main team in The Netherlands to 'represent the country' highlights not only the irony that soccer seems to be crucial to the Dutch 'national identity,' but that the women's soccer national team is not considered to be as important in 'representing the country'. One can argue that the sports connection to warfare is highlighted in terms of gender as it shows the traditional tendency of the man 'fighting' for the country and the women cheering them on. Although more attention is given to women's sport nowadays, the male soccer team still has this sense of