Between the town and the nation. Political aspects of identity building in a regional context

Abstract

Analyses of the process of formation of the Colombian Nation generally in elude two suppositions, explicit or not. One is the existence of a national identity which operates simultaneously as a foundation, as a factor and as a model in the construction of the concept of nation; the other is the preeminence accorded to the role of the state and of the various elite groups in this process. The study of political identities- in the broadest sense of the term - in the Sinú region of northem Colombia, allows us to formulate some general conclusions. In the first place, the concept of a national identity is questioned. ln its place we find an intricate pattern of multiple identities which are usually contradictory and which are established through adhesiones and identifications which vary in their degree of permanence but which are generally shifting. Secondly, in the construction of the concept of the Colombian nation, the participation of the different sectors and segments of society is re-evaluated, taking into account the contribution of those sectors excluded from power. The concept is built up in ways that are often strange· and idiosyncratic and frequently marginal to mainstream thought .FinaJly, once this participation is recognised, the concept of citizenship must be redefined and expanded to in elude these di verse ways in which it is exercised.