In my final thesis, I first explain the central concepts from the field of sociology of nation and nationalism (nationalism, nation, ethnic/national identity, national symbols). Then I focus on the formation of Slovenian national consciousness and identity as well as on the main elements that form and represent it. Next, I describe the modern practices of nation branding, which countries use in order to highlight the uniqueness of their national identities and thus successfully compete on the global market. This strategy was also used by Slovenia, which created its own brand I feel Slovenia. In the main part of my thesis, I analyze the content of promotional videos of the Slovenian country, uploaded on YouTube by the Slovenian Tourist Board I feel Slovenia. I am interested in the recognizable elements and symbols of Slovenian national identity that the selected videos include, which elements dominate and which are omitted, and how Slovenia is presenting itself through such promotion. My central scientific hypothesis is that the elements of Slovenian identity, used in the selected videos, are most often stereotypes, as they do not have a longer presence in collective memory as the main and recognizable symbols of Slovenian identity. With detailed analysis, I will show that natural elements are the most frequent motif in the videos, while insufficient attention is paid to cultural and historical elements of the Slovenian identity, which have a longer continuity in the national collective memory and a symbolic meaning for the members of the Slovenian nation.
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