Against Orthodoxy
Against Orthodoxy
Studies in Nationalism
During the Cold War, nationalism fell from favour among theorists as an explanatory factory in history, as Marxists and liberals looked to class and individualism as the drivers of change. The resurgence of nationalism after the collapse of the Soviet Union, however, called for a reconsideration of nationalism and its role in history.
Against Orthodoxy uses case studies from around the world to critically evaluate more than a quarter-century of scholarship. The essays in this volume reveal that although theories of nationalism have benefitted from fresh insights, they have also ossified into a new set of orthodoxies: some scholars characterize nationalism as an outgrowth of modernity, others view it as a European export, and still others see it as the brainchild of intellectuals. From North America to the Balkans and from Japan to Ethiopia, these theoretically informed and empirically grounded studies challenge some of these orthodoxies and offer new ways of thinking about nationalism as they explore four key themes: theory and history, minorities and multiculturalism in the nation-state, politics and the state, and the projection of nationalism onto the international stage.
Collectively, the authors demonstrate that nationalism is not a singular phenomenon but rather a generative force reflecting complex historical, political, and cultural arrangements that defy simplistic explanations.
Against Orthodoxy will interest students and scholars in political science, sociology, anthropology, history, and globalization studies.
Awards
- , Commended - The Hill Times List of Top 100 Best Books for 2013
Those looking for a 'new synthesis' on nationalism will not find it in Against Orthodoxy, yet its nuanced analyses are sure to generate debate and discussion. This is a topic of signal importance in the world today, and this impressive collection is rich in both theoretical orientations and empirical cases.
Introduction / Slobodan Drakulic and Trevor W. Harrison
Part 1: Theory and History
1 Academic Nationalism / Slobodan Drakulic
2 Do Nationalists Have Navels? Where Is Childhood in Nationalism Theory? / Karen Stanbridge
3 Tolerant Majorities, Loyal Minorities, and “Ethnic Reversals”: Constructing Minority Rights at Versailles, 1919 / Liliana Riga and James Kennedy
Part 2: Minorities and Civil Society
4 Neither Perennial nor Modern: Christian-Muslim Enmities in the Balkans / Slobodan Drakulic
5 Understanding Multiculturalism in Divided Societies: Exploring a New Path / Elke Winter
6 Canada’s French Fact -- or Facts? / Rémi Léger
7 Civic and Ethnic Nationalist Narratives in Ethiopia / Sarah Vaughan
Part 3: Politics and the State
8 Militarism and Nationalism in Japan / Trevor W. Harrison
9 Who Are the Nationalists? A Profile of Scottish National Party Supporters / Michael Rosie and Ross Bond
10 After the PRI: Neo-Liberalism and Nationalism in Mexico / Julián Castro-Rea
Part 4: The International Dimension
11 Messianic Nationalism: The American Imperative / Michael Parenti
12 Islamic Nationalism, Imperialism, and the Middle East / Trevor W. Harrison
13 Progressive Inter-Nationalist Nationalisms: The Return of Transformative, Anti-Imperialist Traditions / Gordon Laxer
14 Implacable Foes or Strange Bedfellows? The Promise and Pitfalls of Eco-Nationalism in a Globalized World / John Hannigan
Conclusion / Trevor W. Harrison and Slobodan Drakulic
Index