BAKOM STJÄRNBANERETS RIDÅ : En etnologisk analys av musikalen Hamilton

Behind the Star-Spangled Banners curtain – an ethnological analysis of the musical Hamilton The purpose of this study is to analyze how imagined communities are constructed in the musical Hamilton (2015) and how this affects a Swedish versus an American audience’s view of the American Revolution. Through five-semi structured interviews and one participatory observation from a constructivist point of view and Benedict Andersons theory regarding imagined communities I have investigated the following questions: How is the history and the hero constructed in the musical Hamilton? How does American nationalism differ from Swedish nationalism according to the participants of the study? In what way is the audience affected by the historiography portrayed in the musical Hamilton? The results of the study show that there is a marked difference in the view a Swedish versus an American audience have regarding Hamilton. Where’s an American audience can feel and experience the history they are presented with; a Swedish audience tends to participate in a passive matter because of the imagined communities between countries in West. It also shows popular cultures impact on the construction of identity and communities, ultimately leading to the participation in an imagined community.