all deeply rooted in notions of patriotism.
In the field of psychology, there exists an influential theory of the Psychological Sense of Community purported in 1986 by McMillan and Chavis. This theory, abbreviated by McMillan and Chavis as "Sense of Community," establishes four elements as being key to one's sense of belonging (and thus ability to assume a national identity): membership, influence, integration and fulfillment of needs, and shared emotional connection. While a thorough discussion of the details of this theory could net some relevant connections to thoughts of patriotism, it is in McMillan and Chavis' definition of membership that there is particular relevance for this paper. While defining membership, McMillan and Chavis identify five attributes. Among those attributes is the need for a common symbol system. While some may interpret this as simply a system of written language, the authors quote Nisbet & Perrin, asserting that:
Understanding common symbol systems is a prerequisite to understanding community. 'The symbol is to the social worl
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