International Studies Compendium Project

Extract

Comment on this article   Nationalism – the idea that people sharing a significant heritage such as a language should live in a single state – is one of the most significant contemporary political forces. In the last two hundred years or so it has been as important as Islam, Communism, or any of the other ideologies that have made a significant contribution to state formation. It has also contributed significantly to state deformation, secessionist movements, and wars ( Norman 2006 :170–215). Where nationalism becomes a particularly pressing problem in international relations is over the question of disputed territorial boundaries ( Wolff 2003 ). Without territorial conflicts its impact could more easily be confined to more positive manifestations, such as international sporting events ( Tamburrini 2000 :24–38). Nationalist movements to change or revise boundaries by either negotiation, stealth, or force have been one of the most fundamental causes of both international and internal conflict in the modern epoch, particularly in cases where the combatants have not been democratically elected and are therefore less accountable ( Huth and Allee 2003 :75–80). Membership of a national community frequently confers privileges, such as shared resources and protection by diplomatic or armed forces ( Kymlicka 2004 :227–68). In this sense it is a real rather than simply what Benedict Anderson ... log in or subscribe to read full text