Venezuela is Second Most Proud Country
by Megan Reichgott
When it comes to national pride, Americans are No. 1 in the world, according to a survey of 34 countries released Tuesday.
Venezuela came in a close second for having the most patriotism, according to the report from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. People rated how proud they were of their countries in areas such as political influence, economic success, sports and history.
"The two things we (Americans) rank high on are what we think of as the political or power dimension," said Tom W. Smith, who wrote the report and directs the General Social Survey at the university's research center. "Given that we're the one world superpower, it's not that surprising."
Patriotism is mostly a "New World" concept, the survey said. Ex-colonies and newer nations were more likely to rank high on the list, while Western European, East Asian and former Socialist countries usually ranked near the middle or bottom.
The report was based on a survey in 34 countries conducted by the International Social Survey Program. People rated how proud they were of their countries in 10 areas: political influence, social security, the way their democracy works, economic success, science and technology, sports, arts and literature, military, history, and fair treatment of all groups in society.
The U.S. ranked highest overall and in five categories: pride in its democracy, political influence, economy, science and military. Venezuela came in second by ranking highest in sports, arts and literature, history, and fair treatment of all groups in society.
Eric Wingerter, a Washington D.C.-based spokesman for the Venezuelan government, said the country previously imported much of its television programming, movies and pop music from the U.S., but that has changed under President Hugo Chavez's leadership.
Many Venezuelans say Chavez has helped create a new sense of national pride, he said.
"There's been a real emphasis on rediscovering what it means to be Venezuelan," he said.
The debate in Venezuela over Chavez, who makes headlines for nationalistic, anti-U.S. rhetoric, might account for the country's No. 2 ranking, Smith said.
"We looked at, 'Well, is it just the Chavez support, or is it the image of the country?' and they're actually both high," Smith said.
Ireland came in at No. 3, followed by South Africa and Australia.
Cultural differences might explain lower rankings for the three Asian countries on the list--Japan (18th), Taiwan (29th), and Korea (31), Smith said.
"It is both bad luck and poor manners to be boastful about things there," Smith said.
Countries that were part of the former Soviet Union or in the former Eastern Bloc ranked lower because they're still struggling to find new national identities, Smith said. Hungary was the highest Eastern European country on the list at 21.
When it comes to national pride, Americans are No. 1 in the world, according to a survey of 34 countries released Tuesday.
Venezuela came in a close second for having the most patriotism, according to the report from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. People rated how proud they were of their countries in areas such as political influence, economic success, sports and history.
"The two things we (Americans) rank high on are what we think of as the political or power dimension," said Tom W. Smith, who wrote the report and directs the General Social Survey at the university's research center. "Given that we're the one world superpower, it's not that surprising."
Patriotism is mostly a "New World" concept, the survey said. Ex-colonies and newer nations were more likely to rank high on the list, while Western European, East Asian and former Socialist countries usually ranked near the middle or bottom.
The report was based on a survey in 34 countries conducted by the International Social Survey Program. People rated how proud they were of their countries in 10 areas: political influence, social security, the way their democracy works, economic success, science and technology, sports, arts and literature, military, history, and fair treatment of all groups in society.
The U.S. ranked highest overall and in five categories: pride in its democracy, political influence, economy, science and military. Venezuela came in second by ranking highest in sports, arts and literature, history, and fair treatment of all groups in society.
Eric Wingerter, a Washington D.C.-based spokesman for the Venezuelan government, said the country previously imported much of its television programming, movies and pop music from the U.S., but that has changed under President Hugo Chavez's leadership.
Many Venezuelans say Chavez has helped create a new sense of national pride, he said.
"There's been a real emphasis on rediscovering what it means to be Venezuelan," he said.
The debate in Venezuela over Chavez, who makes headlines for nationalistic, anti-U.S. rhetoric, might account for the country's No. 2 ranking, Smith said.
"We looked at, 'Well, is it just the Chavez support, or is it the image of the country?' and they're actually both high," Smith said.
Ireland came in at No. 3, followed by South Africa and Australia.
Cultural differences might explain lower rankings for the three Asian countries on the list--Japan (18th), Taiwan (29th), and Korea (31), Smith said.
"It is both bad luck and poor manners to be boastful about things there," Smith said.
Countries that were part of the former Soviet Union or in the former Eastern Bloc ranked lower because they're still struggling to find new national identities, Smith said. Hungary was the highest Eastern European country on the list at 21.
posted by Alice at
Friday, June 30, 2006
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