Nationalism Theory, Ideology, History

by Smith, Anthony D.

• ISBN13: 9780745651279
• ISBN10: 0745651275
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-10-25
• Publisher: Polity

Summary

For the last two centuries, nationalism has been a central feature of society and politics. Few ideologies can match its power and resonance, and no other political movement and symbolic language has such worldwide appeal and resilience. But nationalism is also a form of public culture and political religion, which draws on much older cultural and symbolic forms.Seeking to do justice to these different facets of nationalism, the second edition of this popular and respected overview has been revised and updated with contemporary developments and the latest scholarly work. It aims to provide a concise and accessible introduction to the core concepts and varieties of nationalist ideology; a clear analysis of the major competing paradigms and theories of nations and nationalism; a critical account of the often opposed histories and periodization of the nation and nationalism; and an assessment of the prospects of nationalism and its continued global power and persistence.Broad and comparative in scope, the book is strongly interdisciplinary, drawing on ideas and insights from history, political science, sociology and anthropology. The focus is theoretical, but it also includes a fresh examination of some of the main historical and contemporary empirical contributions to the literature on the subject. It will continue to be an invaluable resource for students of nationalism across the social sciences.

Author Biography

Anthony D. Smith is Emeritus Professor of Nationalism and Ethnicity at the London School of Economics.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction

1 Concepts
The Meanings of Nationalism
Definitions

2 Ideologies
Fundamental Ideals
Core Concepts
Nationalism as Culture and Religion
Voluntarism and Organicism
‘Ethnic' and ‘Civic' Nationalisms

3 Paradigms
Modernism
Perennialism
Primordialism
Ethno-symbolism
Conclusion

4 Theories
Ideology and Industrialism
Reason and Emotion
Politics and Culture
Elites and Everyday Nationalism
Construction and Reinterpretation
Conclusion

5 Histories
‘Great Nations', Small Ethnies
Nations Before Nationalism
Nations in Antiquity?
Nations in History: An Alternative View
Conclusion

6 Prospects
Proliferating Nationalism
The Demise of the Nation-state?
Hybrid Identities?
The Dissolution of Nationalism?
The Consumer Society
Global Culture?
Internationalizing Nationalism
Uneven Ethno-histories
Sacred Foundations
Conclusion

Notes
Appendix: Maps
References
Index