Interpreting 9/11: The Role of Language and Narrative in the Construction of “American” Identity
Following the attacks on September 11, 2001 (that<br />killed approximately three thousand people) the<br />United States began waging war abroad, resulting in<br />the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians and<br />permanently displacing millions of innocent people.&l...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
2014-02-01
|
| Series: | Jurnal Studi Pemerintahan |
| Online Access: | https://journal.umy.ac.id/index.php/jsp/article/view/124 |
| Summary: | Following the attacks on September 11, 2001 (that<br />killed approximately three thousand people) the<br />United States began waging war abroad, resulting in<br />the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians and<br />permanently displacing millions of innocent people.<br />The interpretation of 9/11 as an act of war by the U.S.<br />government and the mainstream news media<br />provided the pretext for military aggression,<br />legitimating war and militarization—on the basis of<br />“national security”. This produced conditions for the<br />heroic-narrative of the savior-nation to emerge,<br />expressing itself in the United States’ “War on Terror”.<br />The idea of the “War on Terror” was introduced in the<br />aftermath of a lingering national trauma—in many<br />ways generated by the government and the<br />mainstream news media. Its repetition allowed it to<br />become physically embodied in the human brain, and<br />thereby, orienting people toward nationalism and the<br />use of violence. This study places identity at the<br />center of the problem, arguing that “American”<br />identity is dependent upon the existence of an<br />enemy- other (negative identity). Drawing upon<br />discoveries in cognitive science and neuroscience<br />permits one to appreciate the role of language and<br />narrative in the construction of identity and the<br />implications it has for both war and peace. Combining<br />this research with a philosophical and religious<br />analysis of the United States captures a trend in the<br />actions, thought, and beliefs that help form the<br />“American” self and its relationship to violence.<br />KEYWORDS: militarization, nationalism, heroicnarrative,<br />language, identity |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1907-8374 2337-8220 |