May 26 th, 2015

Identity Nations What is Nationalism Where does it come from? Types of Nationalism What causes nationalism What causes conflict

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 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.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oft repeated, supported by institutions (symbolically and mythmaking) A shifting response to trends and issues of importance

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

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

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

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