How To Identify Identity
The question of how an increase in regional identity in comparison to national identity and how they lead to secessionist groups are something that's pretty difficult to answer- especially when everyone defies identity differently. First, I have to sort through how people define regionalism and regional identity in compared to nationalism and national identity. Then, I have to find figure out how to measure them. I have come up with a few different ways: regional holidays, the presence of a distinct language, sports teams, votes for independence but I feel like these are vague sometimes and sometimes they're not. It's trying to make my measurements specific but applicable enough to my cases. My cases, if you are wondering, are Quebec, Canada and Catalonia, Spain. Also, I'm trying to figure out how to make my research more focused on the secessionist group themselves rather than just the act of seceding. I haven't figured that out yet, but I'm figuring it out.
Looking for keywords (words used by secessionist groups in their movements that reflects the strength of their identity) could be helpful in discourse or content analysis. You can look at the speeches of the people leading the movements. You could also look at the economic contribution of Quebec and Catalonia in Canada and Spain to evaluate how strong these regions can be on their own. You can also see if these Quebec and Catalonia have their own cuisines
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