NATIONALISM

Nationalism as Political Creation of Modernity

Nationalism as Political Creation of Modernity

Introduction

Nationalism is a modern ideology that tries to explain the individual's devotion to the nation-state by neglecting other interests. It has taken many different shapes in various geographies, cultures, histories, and political systems. Even in a location, nationalism has transformed from one form to another throughout history. The core of nationalism is nation. What constitutes a nation is question scholars are still trying to clarify by using approaches developed throughout the ages (Hobsbawm, 2000, 30). Not only political science but also other branches of the humanities are trying to understand the concepts of the nation and nationalism. The current technological innovations and rapid globalization have added different dimensions to nationalism and its movements. Each day brings a new peculiarity of nationalism.

The exercise of nationalism is the assertion and/or reassertion of the mutual (political) sovereignty of a community in the form of a nation-state. Nationalism is a part of the developmental process of modernity (and perhaps now post-modernity) for a group of people who regard themselves as culturally (which may mean politically or ethnically) homogeneous, exercising this in the form of a nation-state. Nationalism is not the rite of passage to modernity, but goes beyond this thing. It is a cultural and political reaffirmation of a group within modernity and towards post-modernity.

The various definitions recall the story in which a group of blind men touch an elephant to learn what it is like. Each one touches a different part, but only one part, such as the side or the tusk. They then compare notes on what they felt and learn they are in complete disagreement. All attempts to define nationalism are similar (Hobsbawm, 2010, 458): They come from the perspective of the scholars' disciplines, and like the blind men, each discipline touches only one aspect of nationalism. As a result, a remarkable amount of research has been published regarding nationalism, but theoretical progress has been limited.

The concept of nationalism is embedded in the everyday lives of citizens of modern nation-states. The pride that people feel for national accomplishments, the appeals of politicians to the national interests in justifying policies, and symbols that nations use for self-identification (flags, national anthems, and monuments) are omnipresent and help create national consciousness and national identity among diverse individuals. However, when examined in its historical, political, and social context, nationalism takes on a much more sophisticated, controversial, and ambiguous meaning that goes beyond the optimistic view reflected in everyday notions of this concept. Although nationalism was essential to the formation of modern nation-states and can play a vital role when societies face times of crisis, it can also lead people to view their nation as beyond reproach, justifying the use of force and violence to deal with real or perceived enemies. This entry provides an overview of various approaches to nationalism, giving significant attention to potential negative consequences of militant nationalism (Armstrong, 2002, 105).

Nationalism: Positive-Negative Dialectic

Since its advent in the 19th century, nationalism has had a ...