Spain's flag goes 'chav': who's flying it now?
From well-dressed women to tattooed chavs: the social profile of those flying the Spanish flag is changing. Degradation or democratization of the symbol?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
From posh girl to chav: the aesthetic changing of the guard in Spanish patriotism
If the flag of Spain is the nation's symbol, why is its use increasingly concentrated in one particular social profile? Those watching the change speak of a changing of the guard in the aesthetics of patriotism: from well-dressed women to a prototype of a young, tattooed woman with cosmetic surgery and a look some describe as "chavvy" or "far-right chav". The phenomenon is not just a matter of fashion: it reveals a cultural and class divide in the appropriation of national symbols.
The appropriation of the flag: whose is it?
The red-and-gold Spanish flag has always been contested. For some, it is a national symbol that should unite; for others, it is inextricably associated with the Franco dictatorship and the far right. In recent years, however, a new profile has gained ground: working-class youths, often fitting the chav stereotype, who wear bracelets, flags and other patriotic symbols. This causes discomfort even among self-described traditional patriots. "That flag is ours, the fascists' flag," some write, while others reply that it has always been carried by "the worst rabble".
The aesthetic and political debate
The matter is not trivial. Critics of the new usage say these people "degrade" the flag, turning it into a vulgar accessory. On the other hand, some argue that popular patriotism is just as legitimate, and that the elites' discomfort only reveals their own elitism. The debate extends to the flag's design itself: some call for the return of the eagle, others for a simpler coat of arms. At stake, in the end, is who has the right to define national identity.
Perhaps the most Spanish thing of all is fighting over who gets to fly the flag. Consensus, as always, is absent.
Related discussions in the forum
If the flag of Spain is the nation's symbol, why is its use increasingly concentrated in one particular social profile? Those watching the change speak of a changing of the guard in the aesthetics of patriotism: from well-dressed women to a prototype of a young, tattooed woman with cosmetic surgery and a look some describe as "chavvy" or "far-right chav". The phenomenon is not just a matter of fashion: it reveals a cultural and class divide in the appropriation of national symbols.
The appropriation of the flag: whose is it?
The red-and-gold Spanish flag has always been contested. For some, it is a national symbol that should unite; for others, it is inextricably associated with the Franco dictatorship and the far right. In recent years, however, a new profile has gained ground: working-class youths, often fitting the chav stereotype, who wear bracelets, flags and other patriotic symbols. This causes discomfort even among self-described traditional patriots. "That flag is ours, the fascists' flag," some write, while others reply that it has always been carried by "the worst rabble".
The aesthetic and political debate
The matter is not trivial. Critics of the new usage say these people "degrade" the flag, turning it into a vulgar accessory. On the other hand, some argue that popular patriotism is just as legitimate, and that the elites' discomfort only reveals their own elitism. The debate extends to the flag's design itself: some call for the return of the eagle, others for a simpler coat of arms. At stake, in the end, is who has the right to define national identity.
Perhaps the most Spanish thing of all is fighting over who gets to fly the flag. Consensus, as always, is absent.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (66 replies).
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