Nationalism

Approaches to Nationalism

Academics from a wide variety of disciplines, including history, anthropology, sociology, political science, and cultural theory, have contributed to a large body of literature that explores many issues of nationalism, including definitions, origins, development, and forms. Scholarly interest in the concept of nationalism increased significantly [Page 498]during the 1980s and has continued. Earlier studies focused on European nationalism, but recently there has been more emphasis on non-Western examples, particularly in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Nationalism has been approached from various philosophical perspectives, with considerable debate surrounding these different interpretations. There is general agreement that nationalism is a Western construction or conception that is inextricably linked to the formation of modern nation-states in Europe. This gradual process, spurred by the ideas of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution as well as by the development of new economic structures, involved transforming diverse peoples inhabiting a defined territory into a nation with a single identity.

Scholars usually make a distinction between nations and states. A nation often consists of an ethnic or cultural community, whereas a state is a political entity with a high degree of sovereignty. The sociologist Anthony D. Smith defines a nation as a group of people sharing an historic territory; common myths and historical memories; a mass, public culture; a common economy; and common legal rights and duties for all members. A nation signifies a cultural bond, a community of people united by ideology, language, mythology, symbolism, and consciousness. A state refers to public institutions that exercise legal and political power within a given territory and require obedience and loyalty from its citizens. The nation-state is a result of a successful nationalist movement; thus, the state has the same political boundaries and homogeneity of the population as the nation.

Social and political scientists have traditionally made a distinction between the Western civic model of the nation, which is based on European nation-states, and the non-Western ethnic concept of the nation, which is more closely associated with Eastern Europe and Asia. The civic model emphasizes a spatial or territorial conception of homeland, the idea of a legal-political community and equality among its members, and a common civic culture and ideology, whereas the ethnic model stresses common descent, popular mobilization, and vernacular languages, customs, and traditions.

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