Nationensport und Mediennation
Zur Transformation von Nation und Nationalismus im Zeitalter elektronischer Massenmedien
Dieter Reicher
Sport reveals that nation and nationalism did not loose significance in modern societies. Nations are not disappearing! Quite contrary, the global mass media-system promotes to nation and its representation a new powerful platform and new feeling-patterns of national belonging: the “empty nationalism”. This specific form of transformed nationalism does not longer refer to cultural traits of national uniqueness. The “empty nationalism” is part of a world culture that produces global standards of representing the nation. Thus, in Europe ideals of warrior-nations were replaced by more refined and civilized types national we-images and emotions of belonging. As the study shows, not juts new technologies of communication but also new geopolitical realities reframing this transformation of the nation. Nowadays, the sport-coined „empty nationalism“ can also be found in other area of culture. Therefore, nation and nationalism gained a kind of unplanned legitimacy.