NATION BRANDING IN THE IMAGINATION AGE:HOW TO BUILD IMAGE, IDENTITY, PAST AND FUTURE IN SINGAPORE AND SHARJAH

Abstract

BASED ON A SERIES OF IN-DEPTH, EXPERT INTERVIEWS WITH CULTURAL POLICY MAKERS, TOURISM-, MARKETING- AND MEDIA PROFESSIONALS WHO GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF NATION BRANDING STRATEGIES IN THE EMIRATE OF SHARJAH AND IN THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE, THIS STUDY EXPLORES THE `INTERNAL GAZE?, OR THE DOMESTIC DIMENSIONS OF NATION BRANDING. MORE PRECISELY, IT AIMS TO UNDERSTAND THE WAYS IN WHICH NATION BRANDING MAY BECOME AN INSTRUMENT IN THE PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION OF THE INTERNAL LEGITIMACY OF A PARTICULAR NATION-STATE. FOR DOING SO, IT DESCRIBES HOW DISCOURSES AND PRACTICES OF NATION BRANDING INVENT AND REINFORCE NOTIONS OF CULTURAL SIMILARITY AND DIFFERENCE IN THE SOCIAL IMAGINARY WITH THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF REPRODUCING HEGEMONIC DISCOURSES OVER BELONGING AND CITIZENSHIP IN TWO DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE GLOBAL SOUTH.