Key parameters in American nationalism: September 11 as a turning point

The aim of this study is to explain from the perspective of the theories of nationalism that the September 11 attacks were a turning point in American nationalism by causing a national and cultural trauma. Ethno-symbolic theories of nationalism, which are thought to be related to ethnic foundations, explain multicultural states such as the United States through the concepts of patriotism or civic nationalism. In modern approaches, nationalisms are considered as imaginary communities, and in banal nationalisms, which is one of the new approaches, they are considered as icons settled in daily life. In this study, many elements of American nationalism such as the historical process, basic parameters, national symbols, and public reflection will be examined comparatively through different theories. After the 9/11 attacks of the United States, a nation-state established in the late period, a nationalist paradigm was formed over the "other" and the enemy, which damaged its national identity. In this context, it will be discussed how are constructed long-term domestic and foreign policy decisions, public and education policies through textbooks, politicians' discourses and national polls, icons, and the media by using quantitative and qualitative data. Keywords: September 11, American Nationalism, Iconography, Cultural Trauma, National Identity