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Attributes of ethnies and nations

(Table 1.1 in Smith)

Nationalism as an Ideology

Ethnie

  • Proper name
  • Common myths of ancestry, etc.
  • Shared memories

  • Cultural differentia(e)
  • Link with homeland
  • Some (elite) solidarity

Nation

  • Proper name
  • Common myths

  • Shared history

  • Distinct public culture
  • Residence in perceived homeland
  • Common laws and customs

"an ideological movement for attaining and maintaining autonomy, unity, and identity for a population which some of its members deem to constitute an actual or potential 'nation'" (Smith, 2010, p. 9).

Nation

Not a state

State: institutional activity, autonomous institutions, monopoly of coercion and extraction in a territory

Nation: lived and felt community, members share a homeland and culture

"a named human community residing in a perceived homeland, and having common myths and a shared history, a distinct public culture, and common laws and customs for all members" (Smith, 2010, p. 13).

Not an ethnic community

Ethnie: no political referent, often lacks public culture and territory.

Nation: perceived homeland, aspires to or recognized as nation, public culture, desires self-determination.

In 1971, Canada was the first country to adopt multiculturalism as an official policy. This policy ensures that all citizens can keep their identities and take pride in their ancestry as well as have a sense of belonging.

Accordingly, how would you define Canada today? Is it a polyethnic state? A national state? Or is it just several nations within a nation? Please explain your reasoning.

State-Nation

Challenging Ideal-types

  • Diaspora nations

  • Polyethnic nations

The Ideology of

Nationalism

Polyethnic states aspire to nationhood through integration and accommodation.

Ex. Colonized African states

Nation-State

National State

Problems:

1. State dominant and nation as junior partner

2. Monolithic states are rare

  • Nation placed at center of its concern

  • Seeks to promote nation's well-being

"a state legitimated by the principles of nationalism, whose members possess a measure of national unity and integration (but not of cultural homogeneity)" (Smith, 2010, p. 17).

Can the people within a state have multiple national identities? If so, are these equal or is one dominant? Is a national identity a choice or predetermined by where you live or where you were born?

Defining 'National Identity'

Defining a 'Nation'

National Identity

"the continuous reproduction and reinterpretation by the members of a national community of the pattern of symbols, values, myths, memories and traditions that compose the distinctive heritage of nations, and the variable identification of individual members of that community with that heritage and its cultural elements" (see A.D. Smith 2009a, ch.6).

Main Goals:

1. National autonomy

2. National unity

3. National identity

  • Levels of identity

  • Continuity and change

Critique of National Identity

Objective: language, customs, religion, territory

Subjective: attitudes, perceptions, sentiments.

1. National identity has been inflated.

2. Using a mathematical concept in social sciences is too vague or too rigid.

3. Ideology is more tried and tested.

What is a nation?

Walker Connor claims that the concepts of nation and nationalism must be sharply distinguished from state and patriotism. He explains that patriotism is loyalty to the larger territorial state and its institutions, while nationalism or ethno-nationalism refers to a psychological bond of ancestral relatedness stemming from kinship sentiments.

Do you agree with this distinction? Can patriotism always be separated from ethno-nationalism? In your opinion, is there any difference between nationalism and patriotism?

Discussion Questions

Nationalism as an ideology or

belief-system

What is the meaning of

'nationalism'?

National Identity is a term that has recently replaced what used to be referenced as ‘national character’ and ‘national consciousness’. However, some scholars argue the term is too broad to have any analytical value.

In your opinion, does the term have value or is it too vague? Why? Would you agree instead to the use of past terms such as ‘national character’ and ‘national consciousness’?

Basic Propositions

1. The world is divided into nations

2. The nation is the source of political power

3. Loyalty to the nation overrides all other loyalties

4. To be free, every individual must belong to a nation

5. Every nation requires full self-expression and autonomy

6. Global peace and justice require a world of autonomous nations

The Meanings of 'Nationalism'

Common Elements of Nationalist Belief-System

1. A set of basic propositions

2. Fundamental ideals

3. Cognate concepts

Nationalism is often critiqued as an ideology for not addressing complex questions such as social justice. However, can nationalism be more than just an ideology? Can it be a form of culture? Can it be a form of religion?

Fundamental Ideals

1. A process of formation, or growth, of nations

2. Sense of belonging to a nation

3. Languages and symbols of the nation

4. A social and political movement on behalf of the nation

5. A doctrine and/or ideology of the nation, both general and particular

1. National autonomy

2. National unity

3. National identity

Core Concepts

The negative and/or violent consequences of nationalism are often discussed and publicized. Yet, nationalism can be a positive force.

In your opinion, how important is nationalism to the survival of the state? What role does nationalism play in national and international relations?

  • Authenticity
  • Continuity
  • Dignity
  • Destiny
  • Attachment ('love')
  • Homeland

Questions?

Nationalism as Culture and Religion

  • Nation as a form of public culture

  • Nationalism as a political religion

Types of Nationalism

2. Voluntarism:

“Individuals have some latitude; although they must belong to a nation in a ‘world of nations’ and national states, they can, in principle, choose to which nation they wish to belong” (Smith, 2010, p.43).

1. Organicism:

“Individuals are born into a nation, and wherever they may migrate they remain an intrinsic part of their nation of birth” (Smith, 2010, p.43).

Ethnic and Civic Nationalisms

Ethnic:

- Nations based on 'ethnicity'

Civic:

- Nations based on 'territory'

Key Concepts of Nationalism

By Marnie Howlett and Fabian Montoya Fendt

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