Theories of Nations and Nationalism: Old Approaches for the 21st Century

Miloš Vukelić

Abstract

Relying on Rogers Brubaker’s belief that the study of nationalism has survived the erosion of nuanced and sophisticated works offered by the greatest minds in the field, this paper summarizes and reinterprets main Western theories of nations and nationalism. During the last five decades, several main theoretical approaches have emerged. The author argues the animosity between these approaches is only ostensible. Hence, a compatible perspective could emerge as a general framework for thinking about nations and nationalism in the 21st century. Such a framework would consist of modernism, interactionism and ethno-symbolism, all recognized in the literature as distinct views on the topic in question. Still applicable and compatible parts of the mentioned theories are extracted by thorough examination of their author’s most potent claims in order to offer means for comprehending the complex phenomena in a fast and ever changing social environment of the 21stcentury.

References

• Anderson, B. (2006) “Imagined Communities – Reflections on the Origin and the Spread of Nationalism”. Revised Edition. London-New York: Verso.
• Armstrong, J.A. (1982) “Nations before Nationalism”. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.
• Bakić, J. (2006) „Teorijsko-istraživački pristupi etničkoj vezanosti (ethnicity), nacionalizmu i naciji“. Sociologija, 48 (3): pp 231-264.
• Barth, F. (1969), “Ethnic Groups and Boundaries”. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.
• Beck, U. (1999) “What is globalization”. Cambridge: Polity Press.
• Billig, M. (1995) “Banal Nationalism”. London-Thousand Oaks-New Delhi: SAGE.
• Breuilly, J. (2008) “Introduction”. In Gellner, E. “Nations and Nationalism. 2nd edition Ithaca-New York: Cornell University Press.
• Brubaker, R. (1996) “Nationalism reframed – Nationhood and the national question in the New Europe”. New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Brubaker, R. (1998), “Myths and Misconceptions in the Study of Nationalism“. In Hall, J. (Ed.), “The State of the Nation. Ernest Gellner and the Theory of Nationalism”, Cambridge: pp. 272-306.
• Cohen, A. (1974) “Introduction: The Lesson of Ethnicity”. In Cohen, A. (ed.) “Urban Ethnicities”. London: Tavistock: pp. ix-xxiv.
• Connor, W. (1994) “Ethnonationalism: The Quest for Understanding”. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
• Galtung, J. (1996), “Peace by Peaceful Means – Peace and Conflict, Development and Civilization”. London: PRIO and SAGE Publications.
• Gellner, E., Breuilly J. (2008), “Nations and Nationalism”. Second edition, Ithaca-New York: Cornell University Press.
• Hechter, M. (1975) “Internal Colonialism: The Celtic Fringe in British National Development, 1536–1966”. Berkley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
• Hobsbawm, E. (2007) “Globalization, Democracy and Terrorism”. Boston: Little, Brown and company.
• Hobsbawm, E. (2016) “Nations and Nationalism since 1780”. Second edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Hobsbawm, E., Ranger, O. T. (1992) “The Invention of Tradition”. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Williams H. (2016) “International Relations and the Limits of Political Theory”. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Hylland Eriksen, T. (2010) “Ethnicity and Nationalism – Anthropological Perspectives”. Third edition. New York: Pluto Press.
• Nairn, T. (1981) “The break-up of Britain”. London: NLB and Verso.
• Nojman, I. B. (2011) “Upotrebe drugog – Istok u formiranju evropskog identiteta”. Beograd: Službeni glasnik, Beogradski centar za bezbednosnu politiku.
• Özkirimli, U. (2010) “Theories of Nationalism – a Critical Introduction”. Second edition. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Richmond, O. (2014) “Failed Statebuilding – Intervention, the State, and the Dynamics of Peace Formation”. New Haven: Yale University Press.
• Robinson, I.W. (2014) “Global Capitalism and Crisis of Humanity”. New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Smith, D. A. (1991) “National Identity”. London: Penguin Politics and Current Affairs,
• Smith, D. A. (2003) “Nationalism and Modernism”. Taylor & Francis e-Library.
• Smith, D. A. (2002) “The Ethnic Origins of Nations”. Oxford UK: Basil Blackwell
• Subotić, M. (2007) “Na drugi pogled – prilog studijama nacionalizma”. Beograd: Institut za društvenu teoriju i filozofiju, Filip Višnjić.