We know how important the history of a country but it is equally as important as

national identity. Such that, national identity constitutes a social and political identity.
Tajfel et al. (1982) defined national identity as, “the sense of one’s belonging to the
nation and the extent to which people believe being a member of the nation”. For this
is represented by distinctive traditions, culture and language as it is said to be the
sense of a nation as a cohesive whole. Furthermore, national identity is the result of
continuous processes of identification and the feeling created from this identification
within a nation.

In the notion of reminiscing our past topics during the last semester, viewing
through the lens of history, the modern concept of the nation state is a comparatively
new phenomenon. To be sure, the world as it has evolved over the last two decades
has challenged, as never before, the Enlightenment’s vision of society, reminding us
that “modern” — with its specific definitions of person and society, citizen and nation —
described a historically and culturally specific epoch, not the pinnacle of human social
evolution. The majority of modern nation states began as colonies or dependencies
such as Great Britain, Spain, Netherlands etc. In connection to our course subject,
political development is the origin and development of the modern state is the starting
point for the study of comparative politics. What do we mean by the word “modern
state”? The modern state is a historically contingent political phenomenon, but it has
emerged across the world especially in this current time as the main base for the
construction of political authority and power. National identity has played a vital role in
the fortunes of modern states. However, weak national identity was being entitled to
and has been a major problem in the Middle East countries, where Yemen and Libya
have disintegrated into failed states and as for Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Somalia
suffered from internal insurgency. Moreover, there are other developing countries that
have stayed more stable but have nonetheless found themselves beset by problems
related to a lack of strong sense of national identity. In regards, this can be associated
with the scenario of sub-Saharan Africa, where these issues present a major roadblock
to development. Other countries arrived at having the result of failed economic
development, high levels of corruption and poverty.

In this case, national identity matters in developing countries because of its

distinction, classification, and transformation. Distinction, this means that there’s a
difference or contrast in such a way that what a first world country doesn’t exist or
doesn’t have in the developing countries. By identifying its problems, issues and
concerns the developing countries could recognize and be able to find solutions to those
dilemmas. Classification, if a particular country is said to be qualified and characterized
under the category of a developing country. A country is a developing country if it has a
low per capita real income, high population growth rate, high rates of unemployment,
dependence on the primary sector and primary community export dependence.
Countries such as the Philippines, Romania, South Africa and China are examples of
developing countries. Transformation is applicable once a developing country knows
what are its weaknesses, therefore it can find tactics that would mold a developing
country with progress, improvement and development in order to attain success and to
reach the standards of a first world country. National identity not only improves physical
security but it also inspires effective governance.

In conclusion, having a clear national identity is fundamental in such a way that

it binds and unites all citizens into one in-group. A strong national identity is needed
especially in diverse societies because a connection exists when members of various
cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic and language groups are all citizens. There’s a need for
us to focus on matters about national identity because of its recognition, especially in
what category does that country belong to, is it a developed country, a developing
country or an underdeveloped country.

Fukuyama, F. (2018, November 27). In an age of identity politics, inclusive national

identity matters more than ever. Retrieved from ABC:
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/why-national-identity-matters/10559382

Mader, M., Scotto, T. J., Reifler, J., Gries, P. H., Isernia, P., & Schoen, H. (2018). How
political are national identities? A comparison of the United States, the United Kingdom,
and Germany in the 2010s. SAGE Journals Research and Politics, 1-9.