Competing myths of Czech identity

Abstract

The article analyses the current antagonism between the Czech pro-Western liberal democratic discourse and the discourse of national sovereignty from the perspective of long-term conceptions of Czech national identity and the mythical narratives through which they have been expressed. I identify two basic mythical perspectives that have been crucial for the Czechs since the 19th century: the ‘particularist’ and the ‘universalist’. The latter originally only existed as a complement of the former, and it was not until 1968 that it was clearly expressed on its own (in its pro-Western version) in opposition to the particularist myth, eventually becoming the dominant narrative of the 1990s with their ethos of returning to the West. Once the post-revolutionary enthusiasm evaporated, however, the subsequent disillusion again came to be expressed through the particularist myth. While at present the universalist myth might seem as superior to the particularist one, from the perspective of theories of nationalism, both have their bright and dark sides, and it is only due to their present-day opposition that the particularist myth has taken the illiberal turn. A critical reflection of the limitations of both myths might allow us to soften their antagonism.

A comparative study on culture-specific and cross-cultural aspects of intercultural relations in Hungary, Serbia, Czech Republic, and Germany

“…H4d was only confirmed by the item "I know the rules (vocabulary, grammar) of other languages" in the Czech sample, which had low item sensitivity and high difficulty, which may be due to the high level of foreign language skills among the Czech population (Kralova and Dolezelova, 2021). However, it is unclear to what extent this result is generalizable to older Czechs who prefer particularistic policies based on disappointing experiences in the curse of Czech opening toward the West (Chlup, 2020). The surprising cultural equivalence of constructs, dimensions, as well as item affiliations and characteristics was forecast by the configural measurement equivalence found by in the same data set.…”

“…While Czech politics are not predominantly characterized by xenophobia, the idea of a shared national past and a lost golden age plays an important role in Czech identity formation (Kolaříková, 2021). Thereby, Chlup (2020) emphasizes the antagonism between a pro-Western (pro EU, pro-immigration) perspective and particularistic tendencies that might be rooted in disillusion after post-revolutionary enthusiasm, which is important for understanding Czechs attitudes toward immigration.…”

Systematic literature review on the nexus of food waste, food loss and cultural background

“…In Asia, Confucian culture, which is prevalent in countries like China, Japan, and South Korea, places high importance on power distance and collectivism and emphasizes respect for authority and social harmony (Liu, 2018). In Europe, variations range from individualism in Western nations like France (Barker, 2021) to a stronger emphasis on historical traditions in Eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic (Chlup, 2020). The EU acts as a unifying force, seeking to preserve cultural diversity while fostering cooperation among member states (Bieber and Bieber, 2020).…”

Running in Place: “Czeching” out the W/E(a)stern Performative Presidential Geoprostitution

“…Our account problematizes the official historical reading of the last three decades. We do not wish to repeat or, worse, base our account on popular, determinist analyses of the so-called Czech “Key Historical 8s” (see Auer, 2008; ČT, 2008; Chlup, 2020; ČRo Plus, 2021; Heimann, 2011; Šedivý et al, 2011): the Prague Uprising of 1848 (also known as the Pentecostal Storm); the foundation of Czechoslovakia in 1918; the Munich Agreement of 1938 and its effect on the already cut-off country’s subsequent division into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, irredentist fascist Slovak Republic, and Subcarpathian Ruthenia annexed by fascist Hungary; the alleged communist coup d’état of 1948 (in fact a reluctantly assisted power transition by then-president Benes); the Prague Spring and subsequent Soviet military invasion of 1968; and the 1988–1989 anti-systemic demonstrations culminating in the so-called “Velvet Revolution.”…”