"National Identity", Alongside the Others

“National Identity” Alongside the “Others”.

A nation’s identity “is influenced by individualized values, the importance of leisure, and a concern with global solidarity (Abela, 10)”.  These individualized values create a space of uniqueness, between Malta and nations recognized as the “Other”. An “Othering” is a set of characteristics held by an individual that alienates them from a specific population. Emotions, attitudes, attributes, and mentalities can all add to this “Othering” effect, and create prejudices, or even a sense of welcoming (James, 1). Without any comparative uniqueness between Malta and other nations, a specific identity would not exist for any country, nonetheless Malta. Key attributes of Malta’s history and culture will be discussed throughout this article. These characteristics can only be attributed to Malta, and will be outlined as their national identity in this blog. Attributes of the “Others” that exist both internally and externally, can also be examined to recognize how these attributes construct and endanger Malta’s national identity.