positive and negative national symbols in history.
According to Margaret Sleeboom, author of Academic Nationalism in China and Japan: Framed by Concepts of Nature, Culture and the Universal:
It is only when symbols gain meaning as effective triggers of associated sentiments in many linked contexts, including that of daily life, that they become powerful . . . In order for state symbols to become effective, however, it needs to command loyalty to its rule (17).
Using examples of historical and anthropological interpretations of the dragon in the Chinese context, Sleeboom argues, "the cognitive aspect of nationalism is of crucial importance to the efficacy of national symbols" (17).
Throughout her discussion, Sleeboom explains that symbols themselves "are not so much the carriers of magic as the triggers of effects. What makes symbols powerful rather than the belief in the symbols themselves is the belief in the effectiveness of their mobilization" (20). For example, Sleeboom cites this as the reason why symbols are accompanied by narratives û sometimes in the form of oral tradition, other times in form of songs or poetry, as later examples will illustrate. Sleeboom uses examples from Chinese culture to make her point revealing that a rocket names "Long March embodies a particular history of Chinese struggle and triumph" and the Chinese symbol of family. She says:
It is no coincidence that in nationalist ideology the notion of fictive kinship is frequently used to symbolize the nation. The family in many communities is associated with unity, closeness and belonging. Its mobilization is associated with cooperation and survival (20).
If nationalism is related to notions of family, then it is likely that patriotism is as well. And though it may not appear so on the surface, the use of common symbols is closely related to these notions of family, community and a sense of belonging û the psychology of which are...