Isabel Hodgins on Nationality and Age

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I’ve recently read a very good book written by Isabel Hodgins entitled “The Nationality Question”. This book is superbly written and really takes into account all the complexities of answering the question, “Do you belong ethically to your country?” In fact the book rightly claims to be the “forerunner” of many of the latest works on this most important of questions. Isabel’s work will be greatly appreciated not only by those who are interested in, or working on, immigration issues, but also by those who are concerned with issues of race and ethnicity. The title itself does shed some light on some interesting issues.

Isabel starts her book with an examination of nationality based on the nineteenth century, focusing on Great Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia (and the ways these nations dealt with each other). She then looks closely at how attitudes towards immigration and nationality have changed in the twenty-first century and points out that the twentieth century has witnessed a dramatic increase in the level of xenophobia, racism and anti-immigrant sentiment. It is clear from this that race and nationality are not things we just decide one morning. As a result, it is clear that ethnicity and nationality are closely associated with feelings about race, ethnicity and nationalities, and in particular, age.

The book then turns to the main issues raised by those concerned with issues of race and nationality, including issues of age and aging. It is well established that older people, especially those of European descent, often feel younger than their chronological age. The increasing number of older people in developed countries, combined with the trend towards marriage and family break-up is likely to fuel feelings of ageism and identity politics, often leading to demands for greater social care and assistance for the elderly. It goes without saying that any such policies would invariably raise concerns about age discrimination.

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