Patterns of identity: Basques and the Basque nation

Abstract

Subjectivity is an integral component of ethnicity and nationalism and its continued examination remains vital for understanding the appeal that the nation holds for the individual. In this Q methodological study 30 statements regarding attachment to the Basque nation were administered to 31 self‐defined Basques to uncover ways in which that ethnic community identifies with its nation. Following Q sorting and factorial rotation, two distinct forms of national identity emerged: the Active Basque who views the nation in a multifaceted, approving manner while perceiving its existence to be threatened by both external and internal forces; and secondly the Non‐national Basque who also identifies with elements of the Basque collective yet is opposed to the concept of the ‘Basque nation’. The national cause, for the Non‐national Basque, is linked to violence and destruction and the nation is rejected as a means of ethnic preservation. These two identity types are interpreted and compared, providing an understanding of subjective national identity in the Basque Country.