Nationalism

Nationalism

“Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country” - President John F Kennedy and George Bernard Shaw

“Go out and win one for the Gipper”- Knute Rockne played by Ronald Reagan

“You're not to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it.”- Malcolm X

Outline

• Definition and Origins

• Evolution and Challenges

• Measuring Nationalism

Definition• What is a nation?The term nation is often used as a synonym for ethnic group

(sometimes "ethnos"), but people with the same ethnic origin may live in different nation-states and be treated as members of separate nations for that reason. National identity is often disputed, down to the level of the individual. Therefore for this entire concept we will use the term ‘Nation’ in the same way is considered ‘Nation-State’

• For our purposes, this will be the definition of a nation- A nation is a body or group that controls a piece of territory and its contents and is recognized in this ownership by other nations.

Three main origins of the Nation State

• Relatively recent European development– Economic and political forces

1) A people’s common interests

2) An ownership of territory

3) A government

A people’s common interests

a) Race or ethnicity (Kazakhstan)b) Culture (Ukraine)c) Heritage (Macedonia)d) Religion/Beliefs (Israel)

An Ownership of Territory

a) Historical importance (Liberia)b) Natural borders (Croatia/Bosnia)c) Resources (Haiti/Dominican Republic)d) Occupancy

A government

a) Valid to all citizens (PQ)b) Valid to other nations (Palestine)c) Control of internal interests (Banana Republics)

d) Control of external interests (puppet regimes)

Inertial forces

• Those with a stake in the present

• Emotional attachmentBreathes there the man, with soul so dead,Who never to himself hath said,This is my own, my native land!

Walter Scott

How to measure it?

• Flags on cars• Pay taxes voluntarily• Tax rates in democracies• Tax avoidance/corruption• Volunteer army• Voting and political participation• Ask people

Civic Culture Data

Explaining nationalism

• Links to other core values • Experience of nationalism

– What has your country done to you recently?• Do we teach nationalism – pledges, anthems, war

cemetery visits, British values etc?• What have been the costs/benefits of nationalism

in country X?• Who amongst us is more nationalistic?

Smith and Kim, National Pride in Comparative Perspective Int’l Journal of Public Opinion Research 2006

Smith and Kim, National Pride in Comparative Perspective Int’l Journal of Public Opinion Research 2006

Demographics and Nationalism, Smith and Kim

• What predicts higher levels of nationalism?

• Age – older

• Education– Less educated

• Gender– Male rather than female

Normative Issues With Nationalism

• Ought we to be Nationalists?• Perspectives on Love of Country• Sneaky Nationalism• Rescuing Nationalism• Non-Toxic Nationalism: J.S. Mill

An ideology?

• System of belief – the whole or “people” – individual sacrifice not selfishness – loyalty to “imagined community”

• Worldly focus and has a programme of action

• Justifies and legitimates institutions and policies

• Intense, durable and pervasive idea

Or Not

• Just a “loyalty to a land mass”– A belief more than a system of beliefs

• Spawns heterogeneous parties/programmes– SNP to BNP

• No great philosopher