| dc.description.abstract | Much has been written about Kurdish nationalism and identity, the largest ethnic group without a nation living in what is probably the most hostile region of the world will inevitably draw the attention of academics. Whilst this thesis is another in that long list, it does something that others have not done. We have decided not to take the traditional approach of studying Kurdish nationalism and identity. This thesis attempts to deconstruct Kurdish identity using what we determine as the three main influencing factors of place, space, and socialising agents. When we think about what makes us who we are, we do not think about primordialism, ethno-symbolism, constructivism, instrumentalism or indeed any other theory. What makes us British, American, Indian or Kurdish are the memories of where we grew up, our surroundings, the influence of our friends and relatives, the language we grow up with, the sounds and smells of our upbringing and much more. Each of those influences are as important as each other and work together to make us who we are. Iraq, much in the same way as Turkey, Iran and Syria has tried (and failed) to reduced the impact of one or more of those influences in any way it can, often using brutal force to meet those aims. Kurds have been most successful in Iraq and if one were to visit the region they would be surprised to know it was an Arabic speaking country. The influences of place, space and socialising agents in Iraqi Kurdistan since the creation of Iraq have culminated in what can only be described as a de-facto state. These influences have resulted in a new type of nationalism that we have called ‘guerrilla nationalism’, a nationalist movement that is "Irregular, uncoordinated nationalist activities carried out by non-state actors in an often (but not exclusively) defensive and/or reactive response to the established states nationalist activities and policies of homogenisation". | en_GB |
