Three Incarnations of The Quiet American: Applying Campbell''s ''foreign policy'' to Sub-Elite Identifiers
Abstract
This article examines Campbell's concept of 'foreign policy' and its application to identifiers 'below' those utilized by Campbell. Campbell's discussion of 'foreign policy' at the level of the ruling elite, though perhaps necessary for the historical breadth of his analysis, provides a skewed and privileged understanding of both national identity and its creation.
Through an analysis of 'foreign policy' at the sub-elite level, using the three versions of The Quiet American as illustrative examples, this article demonstrates that a separation of 'foreign policy' from Foreign Policy can yield multiple potentially conflicting national identities. While at times taking on the form of an argument ad absurdum, it is not the intent of this article to disprove Campbell's work.
Rather, its intent is to use the concept of 'foreign policy' with a different level of identifier to demonstrate that the tenuousness and indefiniteness of national identity are actually greater than those proposed by Campbell.