Week 4: Nations and Nationalism (Chapter 12)May 26th, 2015

Plan This Week• Identity

• Nations

• What is Nationalism• Where does it come from?• Types of Nationalism

• What causes nationalism• What causes conflict

In the beginning• What is genocide?

• What is the role genocide has played on the international scale?

• What are the relationships, internationally, between one’s identity and violence in society?

• What is the relationship between a population and a nation – and why does society seek to be a nation?

• Why is citizenship and being a member of a nation not the same thing?

Understanding Identity• Understanding identity from the perspective of an

individual is an important step in understanding identity of the whole

• Think about yourself or your friends• Who are you? What is important to you? Do you have a

religion? Do you have hobbies? Do you have work? Are there traditions that you follow? What influences what/when you eat? What influences what you wear? Is your language universal?

• Definition:• “The social label ascribed to an individual or group that

locates the individual in political society more broadly.”

More on Identity• So: understanding how you identify yourself, helps for you

to understand the larger group identity that you’re part of

• Identity is often considered a social construction• Your identity is often strongly informed by the group’s identity;

socialization• Social identity theory

• Symbolic boundaries• Group boundaries that are most important to us• Some of these can co-exist (ie nation and religion)• Others, less so (international borders)

• Derived from culture, history and politics• Fluid – can (and almost always does) change over time

Nations• What is a nation?

• What is a nation-state?

• Why do governments seek to speak on behalf of the nation or people?

• What is nationalism?

• Sovereignty and the Nation-State

Approaches to Nationalism 1• Primordialism

• A theory that assumes that a “nation” is a pre-historic construct, one that has always existed and will continue into the future

• Framed as an evolutionary tool, to better ensure survival

• That is, a biological imperative to form groups allows people to better trust others, act more kindly to those closest to us, distrust outsiders

• Others argue that, as inherently social creatures, we are likely to build connections with those we socialize with the most

Approaches to Nationalism 2• Perrenialism

• Nationalism and identity is not natural, nor universal – nor, though, is it a modern invention

• Emerges in early modern/late medieval Europe, as borders grow in definition and language differences become more clear

• Close relationship between nation and state

Approaches to Nationalism 3• Modernism

• Not surprisingly, seen as a modern invention in Europe, in the late 1600s• See no indication before this date, but quickly spreads after

• Nationalism was not just about a small elite, but a widespread understanding of a nation (perhaps due to the printing press)

• There is an understanding that members of the society are equal in some way (…Marxist view this as the primary problem of nationalism)

• Nations should be sovereign

Types of Nationalism 1• Early understandings of nationalism suggested a

Western type and an Eastern type• European centric (totally, in fact)• The west was more tolerant, more liberal and more

democratic• East (like Germany and Russia) was more xenophobic and

authoritarian

Types of Nationalism 2• More recent evolution in theory suggests civic and

ethnic nationalism

• Civic Nationalism: You are a member of a nation if you are a citizen of a state

• Ethnic Nationalism: Your nation is defined by your ancestry

• Territorial Nationalism: Sort of splits the difference, you’re a member of a nation if you are born there

Types of Nationalism 3• Are nations individualist or collectivist?

• Individualist: Individuals voluntarily join and associate with different groups• What the nation is, is an agreement between these

individuals and is maintained by them (and is therefore, changeable)

• Collectivists: The group collectively has agency and is more important than the individual• The nation comes first, at the expense of your personal

interest or free will

Causes of Nationalism• Primordialists:• Nations are a big family, so rather than ask where these

ties arise from, they ask why do people form ties at all

• Primordialists focus on Darwinian evolution• Why did this particular trait emerge?• Groups can accomplish more than individuals• Group members are more likely to get help from their

own group• Outsiders less likely to get help• Outsiders less likely to be able to differentiate between

friends and enemies

Critiquing Primordialists• Critique 1: While logically reasonable, there’s very

little empirical evidence…and, more importantly, there’s virtually no way to ever find any empirical evidence• Though, this doesn’t inherently mean that the theory is

wrong

• Critique 2: Doesn’t really account for the different types of identities, why small groups may have violent relationships, nor why we’ve failed to create one massive, global identity

Causes of Nationalism• Structuralism:• Underlying structural forces pushed individuals towards

national cooperation• The rise of a particular economic or social order• Capitalism is often identified

• Marxist approach

• The state changes the identity of the group, but does so to support economic development

Types of Nationalism• Political institutionalism• Nations are produced by the state• Nationalism is useful to governments• Legitimacy• Power• Taxation

• Important role for war here• Creating an us vs them understanding of the world, will

help individuals coalesce around the idea of “us”• Exceptionalism

Causes of Nationalism• Cultural Construction:• Nationalism is simply an idea, invented and evolving

• This doesn’t mean it’s unimportant, but rather a guiding principle in understanding identity and how one sees themselves

• One should focus on different versions or ‘narratives’ of nationalism• Contextually, the strongest (or the opportune) can

capture the imagination of a whole society

Cultural Construction Cont…• Oft repeated, supported by institutions (symbolically and

mythmaking)

• A shifting response to trends and issues of importance

Conflict between “Nations”• On ethnic violence: It was once thought that the

collapse of the Soviet Union allowed for the rise of more inter-ethnic fighting…this has been proven to be a largely false understanding• Ethnic violence, in fact, had been increasing steadily for

decades

• Very much worth studying because it is relatively common and, when it happens, it can be incredibly devastating• State-sponsored conflict, in fact, has proven to be

incredibly effective at killing

Theories on Why Violence Occurs

• Primordial Theory:• Long-standing identity is under threat, by a neighbouring

state, religion or perhaps even globalization• It is the passion of those threatened that leaders to

violence• Doesn’t really explain why violence between long-

standing neighbours occurs from time to time

More Theory• Constructivist theory• Boundaries that are based on ethnicity• Or, boundaries that fail to acknowledge ethnicities• Doesn’t explain why these groups can live in peace for

decades, or why violence breaks out

…and Yet Even More Theories on Why Violence Occurs

• Instrumentalist theory• Nationalism is simply an instrument or an excuse to go to war,

really there’s another underlying issue that is the route cause of violence

• Rational choice theory• What group one joins is a rational choice relative to the

benefits or drawbacks on a case-by-case basis• Larger groups tend to have stronger benefits as part of a group• Violence can be one way to increase the likelihood others join

your group (part of a rational equation)

• Psychological Theory• Feeling of difference and unfairness between groups