Nationalism

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Umut Ozkirimli stated in "Theories of Nationalism" that nationalism has been around for more than two hundred years, but serious scholarly examinations of the origins and spread of nationalism did not begin to pick up momentum until after WWII. The author points out that this book is best when arguing Ozkirimli's perspective and bringing others' views to light. The paper relates that Anthony Smith's book seeks to separate "nationalism" from "national identity".

From the Paper:

"Smith points out that Gellner (whose ideas and work appear on 44 pages of Ozkirimli's book, but in only 3 pages of Smith's book), the "modernist," says nationalism (page 71) "is not the awakening of nations to self-consciousness; it invents nations where they do not exist," albeit it does need some "pre-existing differentiating marks to work on"" That statement is disputable, given the nationalism that has run its course in the 20th Century. Did Hitler awaken Germany to self-consciousness in the late 1930s, adroitly exploiting the German common man's resentment for the outcome of WWI? The answer has to be yes."

More papers on Nationalism:

• Analytical Essay # 144513 : "Nationalism and Globalization"
• Article Review # 32031 : "The Paradoxes of American Nationalism"
• Term Paper # 129019 : "Nationalism and Xenophobia"
• Essay # 137381 : "Nationalism and Ideology"

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