Understanding Nationalism and National Identity Theories

1. Nationalism, national identity Introduction to theories SEU2310

2. What is a Nation? • "A nation is a historically constituted, stable community of people, formed on the basis of a common language, territory, economic life, and psychological make-up manifested in a common culture.” • Reification: the act of treating a concept or abstraction as if it has real, concrete qualities. • Essentialization: reductionism; treating a group as homogeneous

3. Nation • Miroslav Hroch: • “Memory” of common past • Density of linguistic or cultural ties • Conceptions of equality among members • Imagined communities– Benedict Anderson • “Imagined as inherently limited and sovereign” • A concept of “experience and expectations”– Karolewski and Suszycki • Category for organizing difference

4. Nation (con’t) • When is the nation? • Where is the nation? • How is the nation constituted? • Constituted thru symbols, discourse, practices… • Why…? • What the nation is not: • The state, all the people • A sharp contrast to Empire • Legitimate opposition to Communism

5. Nation (con’t) • Contingent upon the form and function of the state • Imagined and constructed, but perceived as very real; must be treated with care and consideration, but not reified. • Often, more difference exists within a nation than between nations

6. Perspectives on Nations (from K&S) • Functional • Macro-historical processes • Constructivist • Constantly (re-)created thru discourse and practices • Genealogical • Ethnosymbolic approach (tracing the development of nations) • Rationalist • Behavior analyzed thru rational choice theory

7. Nation (con’t) • Primordialist view of nation (Nationalists) • Primordial and natural • Since time immemorial • Perrenialist view (Some Social Scientists) • Ethnic core out of which nations developed at different points in history • Modern, constructivist view (Most Social Sci.) • Constructions associated with the new circumstances of modernity: states, popular literacy, newspapers and novels, mass educational systems, museums, histories

8. Nationalism • A political principle that holds that the nation and state should be congruent– Gellner • “it invents nations where they do not exist” • “An ideology about individuated being concerned with boundedness, continuity and homogeneity encompassing diversity”– Richard Handler • “An idea in which social reality, conceived in terms of nationhood, is endowed with the reality of national things.”

9. Nationalism (con’t) • What nationalism is not: • A place on the political spectrum • A set, comprehensive political program • A force that acts upon politics/people • Nationalism does not DO anything • “Nationalism is pervasive in the modern world b/c it is widely USED, not merely found”– Calhoun 2007 • Used in vastly different kinds of projects • It matters more b/c it can be used in so many contexts.

10. Nationalism (con’t) • Nationalism and religion • Nationalism and ethnic politics/territories • Nationalism and class struggle/economics • Nationalism and environment • Nationalism and art • Nationalism and decolonialization • Nationalism and multiculturalism • Nationalism and sport

11. Nationalism (con’t) • “A discursive phenomenon that gives shape to the modern world”– Calhoun 2007 • “A way of talking, writing, and thinking about the basic units of culture, politics, and belonging that helps to constitute nations as real and powerful dimensions of social life”– Calhoun 2007 • “Nations do not exist “objectively”: before they exist discursively.”– Calhoun 2007

12. Ethnic vs. Civic nationalism • Ethnic • Membership based on descent • Common faith, language, history • Nations can be unambiguously identified • Civic • Membership = citizenry • Territory and its history • “daily referendum” (E. Renan) • Patriotism

13. National Identity • Easier to identify connections to national identity than nationalisms • When, Where is national identity activated? • “Collective memory”/national identity often enacted thru memorials, rituals, museums, literature, songs, etc. • Signs, symbols, discourse, actions • Demonstrate constructedness of nations

14. National Identity (con’t) • Three aspects of national identity • Integrative function • Othering function • “We—I balance” in national identity • Positive self-image/superiority of nation • Slippery slope to out-group discrimination? • Moving from negatively valued group to positively valued group? • Immortality of nations • Connection with past and future

15. National Identity (con’t) • Widespread acceptance of national identity • Legitimacy • Hard to escape national grouping • Ordinary people live nationhood in a variety of ways • Talking the nation • Choosing the nation • Consuming the nation • Performing the nation