Ethnosymbolism offers a distinct and innovative approach to the study of nations and nationalism. It focuses on the role of ethnic myths, historical memories, symbols and traditions in the creation and maintenance of the collective identity of modern nations. This book explores the different aspects of the ethnosymbolic approach to the study of ethnicity, nationality and nationalism.Nationalism and Ethnosymbolism first introduces the main theoretical considerations that have arisen in nationalism studies in the past two decades. It then presents a collection of case studies covering music and poetry, ethnosymbolism in antiquity, and a wide variety of nations and regions. Areas discussed include Eastern Europe and Russia, the Middle East, the Far East and India, Africa, and the Americas.Overall the book offers a defence of the methodology of ethnosymbolism and a demonstration of its explanatory power.
Provides a concise explanation of an ethno-symbolic approach to the study of nations and nationalism and simultaneously embodies a general statement of Anthony D Smith’s contribution to this approach and its application to the central issues of nations and nationalism.
Arranged over five volumes and containing some 700 entries, this comprehensive and authoritative encyclopedia addresses some of the most vital and practical issues of the twenty first century Includes entries written by experts from across the social sciences and humanities, as well as other disciplines Global in scope with more contributors from Africa, China, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, and South Asia than any other reference on the topic Explores the importance and impact of race, ethnicity and nationalism on private, public and not-for-profit organizations and institutions in the modern, global world In addition to covering basic terms and concepts, the encyclopedia also includes essays that incorporate discussion and analysis of exciting new developments in the field 5 Volumes www.raceethnicitynationalism.com
This volume celebrates and evaluates Anthony D. Smith’s path-breaking contribution to the study of nations and nationalism. A fresh and critical look at Anthony D. Smith’s path-breaking contribution to the study of nations and nationalism. Debates various issues concerning Smith’s controversial ethnosymbolic approach. Includes contributions from academics based in the Czech Republic, Norway, the UK and US. Opens up new avenues of research.
For the last two centuries, nationalism has been a central feature of society and politics. Few ideologies can match its power and resonance, and no other political movement and symbolic language has such worldwide appeal and resilience. But nationalism is also a form of public culture and political religion, which draws on much older cultural and symbolic forms. Seeking to do justice to these different facets of nationalism, the second edition of this popular and respected overview has been revised and updated with contemporary developments and the latest scholarly work. It aims to provide a concise and accessible introduction to the core concepts and varieties of nationalist ideology; a clear analysis of the major competing paradigms and theories of nations and nationalism; a critical account of the often opposed histories and periodization of the nation and nationalism; and an assessment of the prospects of nationalism and its continued global power and persistence. Broad and comparative in scope, the book is strongly interdisciplinary, drawing on ideas and insights from history, political science, sociology and anthropology. The focus is theoretical, but it also includes a fresh examination of some of the main historical and contemporary empirical contributions to the literature on the subject. It will continue to be an invaluable resource for students of nationalism across the social sciences.
The first major study in over three decades to explore the essential arguments of all the major theoretical interpretations of nationalism, from the modernist approaches of Gellner, Nairn, Breuilly, Giddens and Hobsbawm to the alternative paradigms of van den Bergh and Geertz, Armstrong and Smith himself. In a style accessible to the student and the general reader Smith traces the changing view of this hotly discussed topic within the current political, cultural and socioeconomic arena. He also analyses the contributions of such historians, sociologists and political scientists as Seton-Watson, Reynolds, Hastings, Horowitz and Brass. The survey concludes with an analysis of post-modern approaches to national identity, gender and nation, making it indispensable reading to all those interested in gaining full and authoritative knowledge of nationalism.
Nationalism is a key area of political theory, with a huge amount of literature available. This text includes both the core texts in this area and a selection of less mainstream pieces, with the aim of engaging readers with contemporary debates which have reconfigured understanding of nationalism.
A broad examination of the rise of nationalism, populism, xenophobia, and racism throughout the world The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism provides expert insight into the complex, interconnected factors that are influencing patterns of human relations worldwide in a time of rising populist nationalism, intensified racial and religious tensions, and mounting hostilities towards immigrants and minorities. Analyzing the underlying forces which continue to drive global trends, this volume examines contemporary patterns based on the most recent evidence spanning five continents—offering a diversity of interpretations, models and perspectives that address the challenges facing the study of race, ethnicity, and nationalism. The Companion features original contributions by both established experts and emerging scholars that explore an expansive range of theoretical, historical, and empirical case studies. Organized into five sections, the text first discusses growing trends in the United States, the significance of populism in major societies around the globe, and how global changes are influencing regional variations in race, ethnicity, and nationalism. An investigation of global migration patterns is followed by examination of conflict and violence, from urban riots and boundary disputes to warfare and genocide. The final section focuses on the policy debates resulting from changing patterns and their impact on politics, the economy, and society. Timely and highly relevant, this book: Discusses contemporary issues such as the failure of school systems to provide equal opportunities to minorities, the evolution of the School-to-Prison pipeline, and the Black Lives Matter movement Explores shifts in American race relations, the influence of social media and the internet, and the links between increased globalization and contemporary forms of nationalism, racism, and populism Features essays on national and ethnic identity in China, Japan, and South Korea, India, Central Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe Analyzes policies regarding borders, immigration, refugees, and human rights in different countries and regions Offers perspectives on the radicalization of social movements, the creation of ethnic, linguistic and other boundaries between groups, and the models used to understand intractable conflicts in many global settings The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism is an indispensable resource for scholars, researchers, instructors, and students across the social sciences, including sociology, political science, global affairs, economics, comparative race and ethnic relations, international migration, social change, and sociological theory.
This book brings together an array of distinguished scholars to consider diaspora nationalism. Through theoretical, typological and case-specific essays that discuss the Jewish, Greek, Armenian, Irish, Turkish, Sikh, Ukrainian, Hindu, Pentecostal and Muslim diasporas, the book shows the varieties and qualities of attachment of diaspora communities to their ancestral homelands, and the role that hostlands as well as the immigrants play in the form and intensity of these attachments. Setting contemporary diaspora nationalisms in the context of globalisation, with its ever-developing methods of transportation and communication, the book further shows the emergence of new concepts of diaspora - new notions of being at home and away from home - and of new ways of creating and sustaining ethnic networks and contact with the homeland, such as the internet and tourism.
In The Antiquity of Nations, Anthony Smith provides a fresh interpretation of the character of modern nations. Departing from conventional wisdom, he argues the case for a deeper understanding of their character, based on an ethno-symbolic analysis of the myths, memories, symbols and traditions of pre-modern ethnic communities. Building on his earlier work, the author seeks to balance the undeniable novel components of the nation with its ancient, rooted and persistent attributes. In the first part, the author provides a sustained critique of the theories of some of the main exponents of modernism, the current orthodoxy in the study of nations and nationalism, tracing its origins to the Eurocentric and evolutionist assumptions of classical sociology. Part Two backs up this challenge through an exploration of key historical and sociological issues. These include the possibility of finding `nations' in antiquity, the impact of war on ethnicity at various periods of history, the long-term routes to nationhood and their modern consequences, the nature and functions of `golden ages, and the impact of Romanticism on nationalism. The result is a more rounded and penetrating understanding of one of the most complex phenomena in the modern world. The Antiquity of Nations will be essential reading for all scholars of nationalism and for all students taking courses on nationalism and ethnicity.
