About this episode

This episode explores the historic power of national flags as symbols of division, particularly in the context of far-right activism.

Wrapping yourself in the national flag has become a common practice for far-right activists right across the Western world, particularly anti-immigration demonstrators. In the UK the co-opting of the Union Jack and the flag of St George has become so common it’s now described in derogatory terms as “flag-shagging”. In this episode, we explore the historic power of national flags as symbols of division, not just national unity. Guests: Dr Anne Platoff – Flag expert and former librarian, University of California, Santa Barbara Laura Scofield – Design Director, The Atlantic Dr Dominic Bryan – Professor of social anthropology, Queens’s University Belfast

People in this episode

Guests: Dr Anne Platoff, Laura Scofield, Dr Dominic Bryan

Topics covered

• national flags
• far-right activism
• symbolism
• division
• anti-immigration
• cultural co-opting

Keywords

• national flag
• far-right
• symbolism
• UK
• anti-immigration
• Union Jack
• St George
• flag-shagging

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of California, Santa Barbara, The Atlantic, Queens’s University Belfast

Places: UK

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