International Studies Compendium Project

Extract

Comment on this article   Study of nation and nationalism has been one of the most challenging themes in the social sciences. Since the early classical modernist studies on nationalism, theoretical debates for a better definition of nationalism have played a key role in understanding the core issues of history, sociology, and political science. Accordingly, the roots of nation and nationalism, the role of social/industrial/cultural transformation or modernization in the emergence and practice of nationalism, and the effects of hegemonic power structures and struggles within or for the nation-state have been critical in this respect. The rise of identity and difference debates in our era, on the other hand, has diversified not only the critiques but also the future demonstrations of modern nation-states. At the center of these critiques and demonstrations, the idea of nationalism and nation(hood) as its form-determination has attracted primary attention. With reference to the contemporary debates on democracy, difference, and cosmopolitanism, and as a conclusion of the emergence of new categories such as postmodernism, multiculturalism, politics of difference and recognition, or radical pluralism, the scope of nationalism studies has changed considerably. As one of the foremost discussed subjects of social and political theory, nationalism has had a contingent structure. The contingency ... log in or subscribe to read full text