Understanding the Nation-State: Ideology, Nationalism, and Conflict Resolution

1. Unit 9 - Ideology

2. Thinking about the Nation State • What is a state? • What distinguishes it from other institutions, like the Boy Scouts?

3. Thinking about the Nation State • What is a state? • Max Weber – The institutions within a specified geographic territory which have a monopoly on the legitimate use of force. • What does “legitimate” mean?

4. Thinking about the Nation State • What is a Nation? • What distinguishes one nation from another?

5. Thinking about the Nation State • What is a Nation? • What distinguishes one nation from another? • Shared Characteristics Together these traits make up a “nation.” One is born into a nation, a sense of blood connection

6. Thinking about the Nation State • Nations • Groups of people with shared characteristics • States • Bounded institutions with monopoly on force. • Nation states • States whose boundaries roughly correspond with the location of the dominant nation • Stateless nations • Nations that are not dominant in any given state. • Is America a nation state?

7. Importance of Nationalism • Powerful unifying ethos • Can provide sense of identity, belonging • Can motivate selfless sacrifice • The French demonstrated its power first Patriotism – Love of one’s nation, a belief that one’s country is worthy of loyalty. Chauvinism – Belief in the superiority of one’s nation over others.

8. Options to deal withNationalist Minorities • Assimilation • US on its good days – 3 generation rule • Autonomy • Quebec, US Indian Reservations, Kosovo • Independence • East Timor, Former Yugoslav states, Eritrea • Irredentism • Hong Kong, Macedonia, Kashmir • Ethnic cleansing • Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq • Genocide • Sudan, Rwanda

9. The problem of Ethnic/Religious War • Why do communities that once coexisted slide into fratricidal violence? • Why do others continue to get along despite identical differences?

10. Cleavages in society All societies are divided into have and have-nots Many societies do not have much movement from one class to another The problem of Ethnic/Religious War Rich Poor

11. Many societies are also divided by ethnic or religious cleavages The problem of Ethnic/Religious War Greens Tans

12. When these cleavages are cross-cutting, then the ethnic division is irrelevant to the power division These societies do not experience ethnic/religious conflict The problem of Ethnic/Religious War Rich Greens Tans Poor

13. When these cleavages are reinforcing, then the ethnic division is highly relevant to the power division These societies do experience ethnic/religious conflict The problem of Ethnic/Religious War Rich/Green Poor/Tan