Sociology

1. Arguments it puts Forward
The article by Elder presents to readers several arguments concerning the real meaning of  nation . The modified meaning of the word  nation  is generally attributed to the history and philosophy behind the term which have led to how the people acknowledge the similarity of nation, state and country.

In the article, Elder explicates that the word  nation  has been used interchangeably with the terms  country  and  state  because of the emergence of several concepts that vary from one period to another (p. 23). In this sense, Elder argues that there have been distinctions among these three words and that the philosophies behind the evolution of the word  nation  can best explain its true essence.

Elder argues that the nineteenth century thinkers and contemporary scholars have different definition of a nation. It is noted that when the concept of a nation appeared in Europe on early nineteenth-century, the idea of the  nation was referring to a group of people who had a shared ethnicity, language and culture (Elder 23).

The nineteenth century scholars perceived the term  nation  as a cultural entity and not a political one. Elder says that this definition contrasts with the idea of a state,  defined as a sovereign political entity with set territorial boundaries that has to answer to no higher political power  (p. 23).  On the other hand, contemporary knowledge of nation define what members of a nation share as being civic values (Elder 23). With the given definition, Elder emphasizes the linkage between nation and the state and argues that Australis is one of the countries that possesses this linkeage.

2. Evidence it Uses
The evidence which the author uses to validate her arguments include historical details and an exploration of studies from other scholars. Elder provides views from nineteenth century thinkers up to the modern thinkers in order to validate the changes and modification behind the meaning of a nation. The author mentions the Waradjuri nation as an example to better understand the meaning of a nation. Elder also offers a description of Australia to validate her concept of the linkage between the nation and the state.

The author explores the government of Australia, its initiatives and legislations and its existing social setting to explore between the meaning of cultural similarity and nationalism. The author  compares and contrasts several ideologies from various scholars in order to have a concrete definition of nationalism. Elder discusses national identities and the impact and influence of storytellers to be able to define the distinction between what is real and what is imagined in terms of communities.

Elder gathers views from scholars believing that identity is a natural phenomena and entails no amount of pattern for it to be distinguished. She then compares such views with the conceptions of the thinkers who believe that national identity is a structured process that necessitates a great deal of effort for it to become evident, concrete, and existent.

Elder also mentions distinctive topics such as 2000 Sydney Olympics to be able to describe the structured notions on the identity of Australia. Within the said event, the author goes further by dissecting the different issues which the olympics tries to convey. Elder provides an examination of symbolism, historical value and other issues of national identity which the event posits.

3. Broader Debate it Addresses
The author delves deeper on the topic of Australian identity by questioning how secured is its national identity and why does the imagined or natural narratives of identity matter in terms of the establishment of the concrete meaning of national identity. Elder goes deep into the debates which the Sydney 2000 Olympics imply and these debates involve Australias indigenous people, women, and other socio-political factors which have been shaped by narratives and stories.

In the establishment of identity, Elder discusses the story of national unity to explore the idea of a modern nations identity. Elder goes further with the discussion by describing how Australia is promoting is national stories globally through events such as the olympics.

One of the issues that Elder explains is the idea of feminism. According to the author,  as the issue connotes marginalization and exclusion, feminism have an impact to the peoples sense of belonging creating a disturbance on the unification process of the Australian society. This disturbance leads to the disruption of national coherence, an idea which Elder has supported with scholarly perspectives on culture and identity.

4. How the Author Structures the Article
The author provides both the supporting and contrasting views of scholars in order to come up with a conception on the issue of national identity and the impact of storytellers. Using the different concepts and motiffs on the imagined and structured stories which have shaped Australias identity, the author includes further sociological debates surrounding the formation of Australias national identity.

Elders article on nationalism is created with balance between those who uphold the naturalistic idea of identity formation and those who consider that cultural and social unity are the key to an established identity.

As the article considers the existence of historical ideologies as the stories which have shaped and influence the national identity of Australia, the author begins her essay by defining the essence of  nation  then gradually dissects the topic by introducing the views of different  thinkers with different ideologies that try to define has become of the term  nation  using various interpretations and narratives.

5. The Use of Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs
The author presents  the general topic at the introductory paragraph and provides an open-ended conclusion on the last paragraph. The significance of the introductory and the concluding paragraph is to show the readers that the author is open to any modifications directed to her notions on national identity and narratives.

The introductory paragraph of the article allow the readers to be oriented on the meaning of nation to make them ready for a deeper and complicated discussion of the narratives which have influenced the national identity of Australia.

The concluding paragraph of the article tells the audience that the topic of dominant narrative is not without counter-stories and challenges (Elder 38). The author provides a statement from a scholar to validate her idea on the challenges that surround the identity stories.  With the inclusion of a scholarly literature  in the concluding part, the author is able to maintain her position as a reliable source of information who is open for further investigation of the topic.

The open-ended conclusion gives people the opportunity to have their own interpretation of the subject and lets them construct their own theories and ideologies about the formation of national identity.

6. The Use of Topic Sentences to Flag the Key Points in each Paragraph
The authors use of topic sentences adds to the more organized form of the article. The topic sentences serve to generalize and introduce each paragraph while connecting each one to main topic. The topic sentences of each paragraph indicate the issues which are all involved in the subject. Elders use of subtitles makes it convenient for her to expound the topic and to include details on a wide variety of debates which are connected to the subject.

The use of topic sentences aims to uncover the different issues concerning the main. Topic sentences may serve as the introductory sentences for each  paragraph because they make the readers ready for a new aspect of study. The supporting research and conceptions from different scholars serve as the validating statements for the  topic sentences which also help the author construct her own point of view on the subject.