Information AboutNationalist |
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's '' Liberty Leading The People '', symbolising French nationalism during the July Revolution 1830. Marianne is a symbol for France today. ]] Nationalism is a term that refers to a doctrineGellner, Ernest. 1983. ''Nations and Nationalism.'' Ithaca: Cornell University Press. or movements in the twentieth century, hold that Nationality is the most important aspect of one's identity and attempt to define the nation in terms of Race or Genetics . Nationalism has had an enormous influence on World History . In modern times, the Nation-state has become the dominant form of societal organization. Historians use the term ''nationalism'' to refer to this historical transition and to the emergence and predominance of nationalist ideology. PRINCIPLES This section sets out the components of nationalist ideology as seen by nationalists themselves. (Academic theories of nationalism are skeptical of some of these beliefs and principles, see below). Nationalism is a form of Universalism when it makes universal claims about how the world should be organised, but it is particularistic with regard to individual nations. The combination of both is characteristic for the ideology, for instance in these assertions:
The universalistic principles bring nationalism into conflict with competing forms of universalism, the particularistic principles bring specific nationalist movements into conflict with rival nationalisms - for instance, the Danish-German Tensions over their Reciprocal Linguistic Minorities . The starting point of nationalism is the existence of promoted a 'national' identity for itself. Nationalists see nations as an inclusive categorisation of human beings - assigning every individual to one specific nation. In fact, nationalism sees most human activity as national in character. Nations have National Symbols , a National Culture , a national Music and national Literature ; national Folklore , a national Mythology and - in some cases - a national Religion . Individuals share National Values and a National Identity , admire the National Hero , eat the National Dish and play the National Sport . Nationalists define individual nations on the basis of certain criteria, which distinguish one nation from another; and determine who is a member of each nation. These criteria typically include a shared in response to Immigration . Nationalism has the strong territorial component, with an inclusive categorisation of territory corresponding to the categorisation of individuals. For each nation, there is a territory which is uniquely associated with it, the national homeland, and together they account for most habitable land. This is reflected in the . In the nationalist view, each nation has a moral entitlement to a sovereign state: this is usually taken as a given. The nation-state is intended to guarantee the existence of a nation, to preserve its distinct identity, and to provide a territory where the national culture and systems, often teaching a standard Curriculum , national cultural policy, and national Language Policy . In turn, nation-states appeal to a national cultural-historical Mythos to justify their existence, and to confer Political Legitimacy - acquiescence of the population in the authority of the government. Nationalists recognise that 'non-national' states exist and existed, but do not see them as a legitimate form of state. The struggles of early nationalist movements were often directed against such non-national states, specifically multi-ethnic exists solely to provide a sovereign territorial unit for the Roman Catholic Church . Some critics have maintained that (unlike modern nationalism, which is a creation of the 19th-century nation state) authentic nationalism (as the Latin 'natio' would suggest) must be based in some form of genophilia and the sharing of ancestors. Nationalism as ideology includes , in case of conflict, overrides local loyalties, and all other loyalties to family, friends, profession, religion, or class. THEORY Background and problems Specific examples of nationalism are extremely diverse. The theory of nationalism has always been complicated by this background, and by the intrusion of nationalist ideology into the theory. There are also national differences in the theory of nationalism, since people define nationalism on the basis of their local experience. Theory (and media coverage) may overemphasise conflicting nationalist movements, and War - diverting attention from general theoretical issues; for instance, the characteristics of nation-states. Nationalist movements are surrounded by other nationalist movements and nations, and this may colour their version of nationalism. It may focus purely on Self-determination , and ignore other nations. When conflicts arise, however, ideological attacks upon the identity and legitimacy of the 'enemy' nationalism may become the focus. In the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict , for instance, both sides have claimed that the other is not a 'real' nation, and therefore has no right to a state. Jingoism and Chauvinism make exaggerated claims about the superiority of one nation over another. National Stereotypes are also common, and are usually insulting. This kind of negative nationalism, directed at other nations, is certainly a nationalist phenomenon, but not a sufficient basis for a general theory of nationalism. Issues The first studies of nationalism were generally historical accounts of nationalist movements. At the end of the 19th century, Marxists and other Socialists produced political analyses that were critical of the nationalist movements then active in central and eastern Europe. Most Sociological theories of nationalism date from after the Second World War . Some nationalism theory is about issues which concern nationalists themselves, such as who belongs to the nation and who does not, as well as the precise meaning of 'belonging'. Origins Recent general theory has looked at underlying issues, and above all the question of which came first, nations or nationalism. Nationalist activists see themselves as representing a pre-existing nation, and the Primordialist theory of nationalism agrees. It sees nations, or at least ethnic groups, as a social reality dating back twenty thousand years. The modernist theories imply that until around 1800, almost no-one had more than local loyalties. National identity and unity were originally imposed from above, by European states, because they were necessary to Modernise economy and society. In this theory, nationalist conflicts are an unintended side-effect. For example, Ernest Gellner argued that nations are a by-product of Industrialization . Modernisation theorists see such things as the Printing Press and Capitalism as necessary conditions for nationalism.Anderson, Benedict. ''Imagined Communities'', p. 6. ISBN 0-86091-329-5. Anthony D. Smith , typically following the Hegellian dialectic of thesis/antithesis/synthesis, proposed a synthesis of primordialist and modernist views, now commonly referred to as an ethno-symbolist approach. According to Smith, the preconditions for the formation of a nation are as follows:
Those preconditions may create powerful common Mythology . Therefore, the mythic homeland is in reality more important for the national identity than the actual territory occupied by the nation.Smith, Anthony D. 1986. The Ethnic Origins of Nations London: Basil Blackwell. pp 6–18. ISBN 0-631-15205-9. Smith also posits that nations are formed through the inclusion of the whole populace (not just elites), constitution of legal and political institutions, nationalist ideology, international recognition and drawing up of borders. Theoretical literature There is a large amount of theoretical and empirical literature on nationalism. The following is a minimal selection, and a series of capsule summaries that do not do justice to the range of views expressed.
TYPOLOGY Nationalism may manifest itself as part of official state ideology or as a popular (non-state) movement and may be expressed along Civic , Ethnic , Cultural , Religious or Ideological lines. These self-definitions of the nation are used to classify types of nationalism. However, such categories are not mutually exclusive and many nationalist movements combine some or all of these elements to varying degrees. Nationalist movements can also be classified by other criteria, such as scale and location. Some political theorists make the case that any distinction between forms of nationalism is false. In all forms of nationalism, the populations believe that they share some kind of common culture, and culture can never be wholly separated from Ethnicity . The United States, for example, has "God" on its coinage and in its Pledge Of Allegiance , and designates official holidays which are seen by some to promote cultural biases. The United States has an ethnic theory of being American ( Nativism ), and, for a short period in the 20th Century, had a committee to investigate Un-American Activities . Civic nationalism Civic Nationalism (or civil nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the State derives Political Legitimacy from the active participation of its Citizenry , from the degree to which it represents the "will of the people". It is often seen as originating with Jean-Jacques Rousseau and especially the Social Contract Theories which take their name from his 1762 book ''The Social Contract''. Civic nationalism lies within the Tradition s of Rationalism and Liberalism , but as a form of nationalism it is contrasted with ethnic nationalism. Membership of the civic nation is considered voluntary. Civic-national ideals influenced the development of Representative Democracy in countries such as the United States and France. Ethnic nationalism See Also: Ethnic nationalism Ethnic Nationalism , or ethnonationalism, defines the nation in terms of Ethnicity , which always includes some element of Descent from previous generations - i.e. Genophilia . It also includes ideas of a culture shared between members of the group and with their Ancestors , and usually a shared language. Membership in the nation is Hereditary . The state derives political legitimacy from its status as Homeland of the ethnic group, and from its function to protect the national group and facilitate its cultural and social life, as a group. Ideas of ethnicity are very old, but modern ethnic nationalism was heavily influenced by Johann Gottfried Von Herder , who promoted the concept of the '' Volk '', and Johann Gottlieb Fichte . Ethnic nationalism is now the dominant form, and is often simply referred to as "nationalism". Theorist Anthony D. Smith uses the term 'ethnic nationalism' for non-Western concepts of nationalism, as opposed to Western views of a nation defined by its geographical territory. (The term " Ethnonationalism " is generally used only in reference to nationalists who espouse an explicit ideology along these lines; " Ethnic Nationalism " is the more generic term, and used for nationalists who hold these beliefs in an informal, instinctive, or unsystematic way. The pejorative form of both is "ethnocentric nationalism" or "tribal nationalism," though "tribal nationalism" can have a non-pejorative meaning when discussing African, Native American, or other nationalisms that openly assert a tribal identity.) See Also: national mysticism nationalism and archaeology Expansionist Nationalism See Also: Expansionist Nationalism Expansionist Nationalism is a radical form of nationalism that incorporates autonomous, patriotic sentiments with a belief in expansionism. It is most closely associated with the likes of Nazism . Romantic nationalism Romantic Nationalism (also ''organic nationalism'', ''identity nationalism'') is the form of Ethnic Nationalism in which the state derives political legitimacy as a natural ("organic") consequence and Expression of the nation, or Race . It reflected the ideals of Romanticism and was opposed to Enlightenment Rationalism . Romantic nationalism emphasised a historical ethnic culture which meets the Romantic Ideal; Folklore developed as a Romantic nationalist concept. The Brothers Grimm were inspired by Herder's writings to create an idealised collection of tales which they labeled as ethnically German. Historian Jules Michelet exemplifies French romantic-nationalist history. Cultural nationalism Cultural nationalism defines the nation by shared Culture . Membership in the nation is neither entirely voluntary (you cannot instantly acquire a culture), nor hereditary (children of members may be considered foreigners if they grew up in another culture). Chinese nationalism is one example of cultural nationalism, partly because of the many national minorities in China. Third world nationalism Recently, there has been a rise of Third World nationalisms, which are fundamentally at odds with the first world nationalisms seen in nations such as the United States , Britain , Germany , and other former colonial powers. First World nationalism, by its definition, assumes privilege and entitlement, and often is imperialist. Third world nationalisms, by contrast, occur in those nations that have been colonized and exploited. The nationalisms of these nations were forged in a furnace that required resistance to (neo)colonial domination in order to survive. When seen in this way, Third World Nationalism is not simply an "extension" or spreading of the form of nationalism experienced in First World nations; instead, it is a conscious break from such nationalism and attempts to ensure that the identities of Third World peoples are authored primarily by themselves, not colonial powers.Chatterjee, Partha. "Nationist Thought and the Colonial World," University of Minnesota Press, ISBN 0-8166-2311-2 Liberal nationalism '' 10(3): 231-250. State nationalism |
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