NATIONAL DAYS: CONSTRUCTING AND MOBILIZING NATIONAL IDENTITY

The book shows how national days are best understood in the context of debates about national identity. It argues that national days are contested and manipulated, as well as subject to political, cultural and social pressure. It brings together some of the most recent research on national days and sets it in a comparative context.

DAVID MCCRONE is Professor of Sociology, Institute of Governance, University of Edinburgh, UK. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and a Fellow of the British Academy. He coordinated the research programme on Constitutional Change and National Identity funded by the Leverhulme Trust (1999-2005), and its follow-up programme on National Identity, Citizenship and Social Inclusion (2005-11).

GAYLE MCPHERSON is Senior Lecturer in Cultural Policy, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK. She leads a team with interests in the consumption and production of festivals and events, both on a global scale and in enhancing community interests. Her research also examines the use of culture in developing social cohesion and social economy skills. She has a particular interest in the social and cultural impacts and benefits of large scale events on local communities.