How to be a Patriot offers a new way of understanding our collective identity in a country wracked by division and brimming with markers of selfhood - faith, race, gender, age, sexuality.
Sunder Katwala himself grew up with some questions to work through. As a half-Indian, Irish Catholic child of the NHS, the chequered history of post-imperial Britain seemed very personal to him, but he realised that with that background he could hardly be anything but British, and proud of it too.
His timely and clear-eyed analysis seeks to navigate the many crises of this increasingly disunited kingdom: extremism and integration after 7/7; fear of immigration and the deep divides of Brexit; the resurgence of online racism; and the debate over our cultural heritage. Equipped with a nuanced understanding of the subject and a wealth of supporting data, he sets out to foster a more open and tolerant society: one that welcomes alternative ideas and cultures rather than shutting them out.
Ultimately, How to be a Patriot is a rousing story of lives lived together and shared values. Far from being divisive, it concludes, an inclusive and confident patriotism is a reminder that our differences need not define us.
| ISBN: | 9780008553890 |
| Publication date: | 6th June 2024 |
| Author: | Sunder Katwala |
| Publisher: | HarperNorth an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 224 pages |
| Genres: |
Ethnic groups and multicultural studies Racism and racial discrimination / Anti-racism Decolonisation and postcolonial studies Social and political philosophy Nationalism Civics and citizenship Social and cultural history Social Integration and assimilation Social attitudes Political science and theory |