Belgian Nationalism

Paper Summary:

The paper explores how Belgium has different nations that coexist in the same political framework. The paper discusses the background and development of Belgium's regional autonomy. The paper relates that the sub-societies of Belgium recognize and respect each other and they all agree on a principle of self-organization. The paper concludes that the Belgian example shows how it is possible to hold on to a national identity and to find the compromising measures that restrict nations as little as possible.

From the Paper:

"The influence of nationalism was great in world history, as the nation-state has become the dominant form of state organization. In fact, the existence of nations is the starting point of nationalism, as nations are entities with a long history and nationalist claims are based particularly on the historical aspect."
"A very important distinction when speaking about nationalism is that between nation and state, as state refers at the institutional framework provided for a nation or for more nations. The term "nation" refers to a specific identity that individuals identify with. Some nations do not identify as much with their state and they identify more with their specific nation than with the state, this being the case of the Flemish in Belgium."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brass, Paul R. Ethnicity and Nationalism: Theory and Comparison, New Dehli: Sage, 1991;
• Crawford Young, M, Revisiting nationalism and ethnicity in Africa, UCLA International Institute, James S. Coleman Memorial Lecture Series, 2004;
• Deprez, K. and Vos, L.(eds.), Nationalism in Belgium, Shifting Identities, 1780-1995, London:MacMillan, 1998;
• Lijphart, A., Democracy in Plural Societies: a comparative exploration, New Haven : Yale University Press, 1977;
• Maddens, B., Beerten, R. and Billiet, J., The National Consciousness of the Flemings and the Walloons : an Empirical Investigation, in Deprez, K. and Vos, L., 1998 (198-208);

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