Nationalism
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fuel populism. Nevertheless, nationalism has – and is likely to continue to have – a strong and particular appeal to the isolated and powerless, for whom it offers the prospect of security, self-respect and pride. Not only does nationalism create a heightened sense of socio-cultural belonging but, in breeding from a clear distinction between ‘us’ and ‘them’, it provides simple (and therefore seductive) solutions to complex problems. There has to be a ‘them’ to fear or hate in order to forge a sense of ‘us’, sometimes understood in populist terms as conflict between the elite and the people. However, perhaps the firmest basis for confidence about the continuing importance of nationalism in world politics stems from the alleged lessons of social psychology. These suggest that, especially in circumstances of disruption, uncertainty and anxiety, people are inclined to divide the world into an ‘in group’ and an ‘out group’, with the ‘out group’ serving as a scapegoat for the misfortunes and frustrations suffered by the ‘in group’.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
y y Do nations develop ‘naturally’, or are they, in some sense, invented? y y Why have nations and states often been confused? y y Is any group of people entitled to define itself as a ‘nation’? y y How does nationalism differ from racism? y y To what extent is nationalism compatible with ethnic and cultural diversity? y y In what sense is liberal nationalism principled?
y y Why have liberals viewed nationalism as the antidote to war? y y Are all conservatives nationalists? If so, why? y y Why has nationalism so often been associated with expansionism, conquest and war? y y To what extent is nationalism a backward-looking ideology? y y Why and how has developing-world nationalism differed from nationalism in the developed world? y y What is the relationship between nationalism and globalization?
FURTHER READING
Bruilly, J. The Oxford Handbook of the History of Nationalism (2013). Leading scholars in a variety of fields present the latest research on nationalism across a broad array of areas. Coakley, J. Nationalism, Ethnicity and the State (2012). A broad and comprehensive overview of nationalism, and its expression across many spheres of public and political life. Greenfeld, L. Nationalism: A Short History (2019). A concise overview of the evolution of nationalism and its ongoing presence in a globalized world.
Jones, C. & Vernon, R. Patriotism (2018). Explores the concept and phenomenon of patriotism, its central role in nationalism, and its broader social and moral implications. Özkirimli, U. Theories of Nationalism , 3rd edn (2017). A clear and genuinely international account of classical and modern contributions to debates about nationalism.
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