This response is based on:
Benedict Anderson.
Introduction In Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, revised edition (London: Verso. 1991); Census, Map, Museum In Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, revised edition (London: Verso. 1991), pp. 163-85.
Suitable for a document made from the end-times of Communism’s original Empire, Anderson points out that the Internationalist ideal of Marxism did not translate neatly into the peculiar regional politics of each nation-state. Certainly, Anderson also notes that the Nationalist ideal once again reigns supreme. He then goes on to say that Nation-hood itself is somewhat imaginary…perhaps even a kind of meme-space that unities community members across geopolitical or ideological lines.
I am guessing that the class discussion will begin to address repatriation challenges with First Nations communities since their own nationhood crosses the colonial border-lines of our current nation-states (i.e. Canada and the USA). As such, the “collections” of each First Nations Community, has their own very narrativized concept of “provenance”.
I am hoping our class discussion will be expanded to included similar repatriation challenges to virtual nations such as: Ladonia and The Kingdom of Elga-Land Vargland as well Second Life’s Odyssey Island. In those virtual communities: remediation is just as important as repatriation for the continuation of their “nationhood”. Such nations go beyond continental boundaries and envelop global citizenship. Also, narrativized rituals are a big component of a “national” identity for these communities. Finally, the proprietary aspects of the internet further complicate the nature of this remediation and repatriation. Perhaps virtual communities are unique in that open-ness (open source, open sharing and public secrets) becomes a virtue and explicit publicizing of their most private narratives is imperative and desirable for their communities to survive over time.
Anderson is a Marxist and his analysis is steeped in the tradition of critical theory and historical materialism. What is peculiar about his approach though is that he uses a non-materialist-based knowledge paradigm in his analysis: the paradigm of imagination (as some authors have called it). This makes for a rich scholarship where empirical data is blended with cognitive theory. It is therefore of no surprse to me that it inspired you to reflect on the repatriation of artefact and symbols (could we even say heritage?) from cyberspace and virtual communities. I find your idea both provocative and most seductive… I do believe that you are on to something very special…the musealisation of cyberspace. We should talk…
Agreed…perhaps we will be discussing this in class tomorrow 😉
Yes, it was a refreshing change to see a Marxist address Nationhood without the 20th century trappings of historical materialism…the rest of his book may even go beyond the Hegelian dialectic 😉
Great post, Jeremy–indeed while we will be talking about digital repatriation this week (the digitization and return of cultural heritage to source communities, with Aboriginal case examples), this is only one of many possible platforms for thinking through Anderson’s imagined communities. I agree with Claude that an exporation of virtual worlds is a very productive context in which to grapple with the rituals and contestations of nationalisms of all kinds, and indeed this is the point of reading Anderson in the context of the digital museum, which we should all be thinking about in broad terms. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s conversation.