The homeland is generally a person’s birthplace . This concept is synonymous with nation, although homeland has an emotional component, nation is a more official and administrative term.
The concept of homeland is present in the culture and mentality of individuals. For this reason, a brief analysis of some aspects that incorporate this term makes sense.
People usually feel a sense of ownership in relation to the country they were born. This feeling is patriotism, since a person has an emotional bond with the history, symbols and traditions of their country. This concept is within a general trend. If this feeling is too intense and exaggerated, it can lead to a certain fanaticism (typical in ultra-nationalist postures).
There are institutions that aim to preserve national interests and defend the homeland. The army is the state responsible for maintaining the nation‘s maximum security in the face of any internal or external threat . Its function is fundamentally based on the concept of homeland. It should be taken into account that throughout history values of national exaltation have always been used. However, there are other concepts in which the meaning of homeland is present: in sporting confrontations between countries, in institutional acts or in some celebrations.
The idea of homeland has significant symbolic value, represents the set of affective and cultural bonds of its inhabitants, as well as an element of union.
There are some peculiarities regarding the notion of homeland. It is customary to say homeland to mention the exact place of birth and not the country of origin itself. The adopted homeland refers to the place where a citizen lives or has lived for a certain time even though he/she was not born there. If a person does not have a nation from a legal point of view, he can be considered without a homeland.
Some thinkers believe that the notion of homeland as an ideal is a source of conflict and is an inadequate concept in a globalized world. There are approaches that capture the patriotic elements to define the identity of a collective. There are even options that consider freedom as the only homeland.
