Nationalism Understanding: Citizens' National Consciousness

摘要

Nationalism is a concept that aims to establish and maintain the sovereignty of the nation and state, shaping the identity of the citizens. Thus, each and every citizen holds this concept within themselves. The spirit of nationalism of the young generation is the asset of national development. However, only small portions of the youngsters truly understand and perform the daily practice of nationalism in the modern era. This research aims to know the understanding of Universitas Ahmad Dahlan students on nationalism based on their national consciousness in their daily life. This research used mix method approach. The data were obtained from the questionnaire given to 52 non-civic education students of UAD. The results of the questionnaire was analyzed using quantitative approach and described qualitatively using content analysis and literature review. The research shows that, cognitively, students know about citizen's national awareness. Most of the respondents realize that nationalism can be fostered through their love for their homeland, their efforts to safeguard the sovereignty, their understanding on diversity, and their obedience to rules of law. However, it is necessary to shape the nationalism mentality and attitude in the characters of the youth, for example in paying the tax, obeying the rules, acting honestly, and implementing the democracy of Pancasila.