THE NEW NATIONALISMS
I. Definitions
A. State: a concrete political entity w/ territory, people, government;
approx. 190
B. Nation: a group of people w/ shared cultural traits wh. may include
language, religion, race, common history, or common values; think of
nationality; 5,000 in world
C. Nation-state: combines A & B; fairly good reflection of reality in
industrialized world, but not in DCs where post-colonial borders had
little relation to the cultures
D. Nationalism: sentiment & set of beliefs linking A, B, & C.
Calls for self-determination, hence linked w/ democracy; Loyalty
to the nation-state is preeminent.
Both cohesive & divisive.
Leads to competitiveness, aggressiveness, xenophobia
(Nazi's--extreme; US-Japan-- mild)
Q: What entity would you be willing to die for?
For most ppl, only the ntn-state commands more loyalty than family.
II. History
A. Rise in West: 18th C., esp. French & American Revolutions
B. Predicted demise: After WW2, because Nazism was viewed as extreme
of nationalism & bec. increased econ. interdep. was expected to
erode nationalism
UN seen as unifying force to transcend nationalism.
C. Resurgence: post-war decolonization; approx. 100 states gained
independence since 1945; list is growing w/ breakup of Eastern
bloc countries.
1. Many Third World states are weak >> foster nationalism as
antidote to internal cultural divisiions.
III. Role of ideas in IR
A. Soft (not hard) power
1. Intangible: increases resolve, solidarity
EX: Vietnam vs. U.S.
B. Ideas can be subterfuge for pol. & econ. interests
EX: Angola was "communist" to get Soviet support;
leaders cd. not identify pictures of Marx & Lenin
- vs. UNITA rebels (first got Chinese support & were
Maoist, then were "democractic" to get U.S. support,
trained to destabilize Marxist govt., wh. included
attacks on U.S. companies like Chevron.
IV. Poor fit bet. nations & states (show JR pg. 182)
A. Multinational states are most common: former SU is good ex. of how
ideology can suppress national identities
1. E. European problems rooted in WWI Treaties
a. Synthetic states of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary
created by victors interested in geopols. & balance of
power (ignored minorities)
2. Same reason Bush encouraged Kurds to rebel, but refused to
support them
B. Non-state nationalities: nation found in more than one state EXS:
Palestinians; Kurds; Jews since ancient times.
C. Split nationality: Korea; Vietnam; Germany; Ireland.
D. Fragmentation >> Microstates
1. Proliferation of tiny states: now 38 states in U.N. w/ pops.
under 1 million; their total pop. is 10 million
(1/2 Mexico City)
a. Makes global problems more unmanageable
2. When to stop?
EX: Most former Soviet states fighting separatist mvts.
>> can spill over (Chechnya >> Turkey)
V. A new perspective on sovereignty
A. Deconstruct sov'ty: over territory & over people
>> nonterritorial conceptions of territory.
1. Functional approach to sovereignty
a. A key feature of E.C.; Israeli-Palestinian peace
2. Basic notion of territorial sovereignty invites settlement
of disputes in terms of simple boundary lines, which is a
zero-sum approach
B. Make room for nations without making new states
1. Perhaps have UN General Assembly of Peoples alongside
existing General Assembly
2. Some discussion along these lines for Indigenous Ppls.
**Q: How would realists & post-internationalists interpret the apparent
rise of "new nationalisms" differently?
