German Christian Democracy and the “National Feeling” Concept as the Factors of German Unification 1989–1990
https://doi.org/10.18384/2224-0209-2025-2-1647
Abstract
Aim. To identify the relationship between the concept of the “national feeling”, Christian democracy, and the unification of Germany.
Methodology. The main issue of the study is an analysis of both the communicative practices used by Chancellor G. Kohl to “normalize national feeling” and the institutionalized aspect belonging to the discourse of the “national feeling” concept in terms of social constructivism and a discursive approach to the study of memory politics. The analysis of the researchers’ views on the “national feeling” concept, specific to German academic discourse, is presented.
Results. It has been proven that both Christian democracy, that is free from the identity ideologization and that acts as a conventional and conformist ideology, and the powerful representation of positive assessment of “national feeling” among the citizens of the FRG and the GDR became certain factors in the process of political unification of Germany.
Research implications. The study concretizes the “national feeling” concept, identifies ways and means of “normalizing national feeling” with use of power discourse, and creates a connectiom between symbolic de-ideologization, “normalization of national feeling”, and increased intra-group solidarity on the materials of the unification process in Germany.
About the Author
Alexey L. Stalnoy
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Postgraduate student, Department of Public Policy, Faculty of Political Science
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