Anthony D. Smith's contribution to the study of Nationalism

7/24/2019 Anthony D. Smith's contribution to the study of Nationalism

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Anthony D. Smith'scontribution to the study of

Nationalism

Student: Nejra HodiInstructor: Matilde Fruncillo

Course: Nation and Nationalism

June, 2015

ord Count: !000


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Contents1" #ac$%round""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""2

2" &t'nic (s" Ci(ic Nationalism"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""!!" &t'no)s*m+olism""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""5

" -'e .i/usion o Nationalism""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

5" Conclusion""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

3&F&3&NC&S""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""10


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1" #ac$%round

4nt'on* ." Smit' 'as oten +een reerred to as t'e most

aut'oritati(e &uroean researc'er on nationalism" He is 6roessor

&meritus at 7ondon Sc'ool o &conomics and 6olitical Science as 8ell as

&ditor)in)C'ie o t'e sc'olarl* journal Nations and Nationalism o

Cam+rid%e 9ni(ersit* 6ress Nationalism 6roject, 200;" 4s a student o

&rnest uestion in understandin% nationalism is t'e manner in 8'ic' t'e ast

'as s'aed t'e resent" 'at is more, 'e considers t'e nation and

national identit* to +e t'e c'aracteristics o ancient, medie(al and e(en

anti>ue ci(ili?ations -'e 9$rainian ee$, 2012;" 4ccordin%l*:

Nationalists have a vital role to play in the construction of

nations, not as culinary artists or social engineers, but as

political archaeologists rediscovering and reinterpreting the

communal past in order to regenerate the community. Their

task is indeed selective - they forget as well as remember

the past- but to succeed in their task they must meet certain

criteria. Their interpretations must be consonant not only with

the ideological demands of nationalism, but also with the

scientic evidence, popular resonance and patterning of

particular ethno-histories !"mith, #$$%&. '

Hence, t'e underl*in% reason o e@istence o nationalism is to construct

nations rom a 'istorical ersecti(e t'at also Ats oular +elies" Smit'

ar%ues in most o 'is 8or$s t'at t'is 'istor* is transormed in a sense o

common identit* and s'ared ancestr*


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seciAcall* t'e* are not al8a*s academicall* (alid"1 In addition, Smit'

claims t'at mem+ers o a constructed nation ma* not necessaril* +e e>ual

in order to +elon% to it, +ut rat'er intensi(el* Beel as +elon%in% to t'e

resecti(e nation and solidarit* to its ot'er mem+ers i+id;" No8 t'at t'e

%rounds o Smit'Ds t'eories 'a(e +een esta+lis'ed, t'e aer 8ill anal*se

'is stance uon di/erentiation +et8een et'nic and ci(ic nationalism, t'e

t'eor* o et'no)s*m+olism and ultimatel* o/er a +rie o(er(ie8 o Smit'Ds

article named The (i)usion of Nationalism"

2" &t'nic (s" Ci(ic Nationalism

Be 'a(e one doctrine, +ut man* nationalisms Nationalism 6roject,

200; E Smit' stated durin% one o 'is inter(ie8s e@lainin% t'e di/erent

ideolo%ies t'at ma* +e used 8it' nationalism suc' as anti)colonialism and

li+eralism" Ne(ert'eless, t'is statement ma* +e alied to a articularl*

interestin% distinction 'e ma$es +et8een ci(ic and et'nic nationalism"

Suc' di/erence is 'i%'l* rele(ant e(en in modern 8orld 8'ere man*

con=icts are ou%'t just +ecause one %rou o eole +elie(es to +e an

et'nic nation reusin% to s'are ci(ic nationalit* 8it' t'e ot'er %rous on

t'e same territor*" For e@amle, most o t'e citi?ens o #osnia and

Her?e%o(ina do not eel t'e #osnian nationalit* +ut e@ress t'eir o8n

et'nic nations suc' as #osnia$s, Croats and Ser+s t'at are deel*

entrenc'ed in t'e olitical s*stem o t'e countr*" 4lso, t'e distinction

+et8een estern and &astern nations is closel* related to t'is de+ate

8'ere estern are considered to +e more ci(ic and &astern more et'nic

Sc'ulman, 2002;" In %eneral, t'e ocus o ci(ic nationalism is t'e statet'at ad(ocates t'e +elie in a societ* %at'ered around t'e concets o

territorialit*, citi?ens'i, ci(ic ri%'ts and le%al codes distri+uted to all

mem+ers o t'e %rou Nationalism roject, 200;" 'at is (er* imortant

in t'is notion is t'at all mem+ers o t'is t*e o nation are e>ual citi?ens

1 For e@amle, t'e oso(o +attle +* Ser+ nationalism Ats erectl* as an e@amleor maniulation o 'istorical e(ents to %ain oular suort or a nationalist

ideolo%* t'at is easil* used 8it' re(ailin% olitical re%imes" Smit' calls t'isGo(erl* m*t'olo%isin% small, inaccurate arts o t'eir 'istor*"B


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and e>ual +eore t'e la8" -'e common +onda%e comes rom mutual

c'aracteristics not o t'e %enealo%ical t*e +ut o s'ared lan%ua%e,

e@eriences, rules, la8, ood and education" 4s ointed out, ci(il

nationalism does not re>uire common aternit* +ut a closeness created

out o e@osure to same elements t'at ma$e u one societ*" -'e ideas o

t'e nation and nationalism in a ci(ic sense arose 8it'in alread* e@istin%

state structures t'at included relati(el* 'omo%enous oulation" Suc' 8as

t'e case 8it' t'e stru%%le o estern nations a%ainst d*nastic rule t'at

8ere re(iousl* ormed +ut onl* demanded e>ualit* and li+ert* in t'e

citi?ens'i outloo$ Sc'ulman, 2002;" n t'e ot'er 'and, nations in t'e

&ast consolidated around t'e common 'erita%e o a eole and t'e

a+stract idea o t'e volk, instead o around t'e notion o citi?ens'i i+id;"

-'is idea o et'nic nations em'asi?es t'e elements o s'ared +lood,

'istorical e@eriences, culture, lan%ua%e and reli%ion t'at are not central

or common understandin% o ci(ic nation"

Smit' oses an interestin% >uestion re%ardin% t'e commonl*)'eld

distinction +et8een t'ese t8o orms o nationsnationalisms" He

in(esti%ates 8'et'er t'e communit* articiation in ci(ic nations isresent to an e>ual e@tent in t'ose 8'o s'are not onl* residence +ut

ancestr* in t'e articular territor* and t'ose 8'o do not Nationalism

6roject, 200;" For e@amle, to o+tain a #ritis' assort +* someone 8'o

is not +orn in #ritain nor is a citi?en it is necessar* to ro(e t'at oneDs

%randarent is8as a #ritis' citi?en, 8'ic' accents t'e imortance o

ancestr*" In t'e +irt' o et'nic nationalism t'e mass is a less rele(ant actor

accordin% to Smit'" n t'e contrar*, it is t'e elites t'at maniulate t'emasses in order to mo+ilise t'em" Ho8e(er, t'e mo+ilisation must include

t'e elements o oular demands 8'ic' are usuall* demands or ro%ress

+ecause o lac$ o olitical or economic insta+ilit*" In suc' e>uation, t'e

tools used to maniulate t'e masses suc' as reerence to s'ared 'istor*

and +lood comensated or lac$ o ot'er ci(ic elements" -'ereore t'e

uni*ueness o t'e eole is em'asi?ed in a conte@t o in and out %rou

di/erentiation" More seciAcall*, t'e identit* o one %rou +uilt uonet'nicit*; is ormed +* $no8in% 8'at t'e %rou is not E t'at is, t'e ot'ers"


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4ccordin% to Smit' Belite maniulation t'en ser(es to cr*stallise mass

discontent 1K;" #ut suc' ar%ument ro(es t'at it is diLcult to ma$e a

clear cut in ci(ic)et'nic dic'otom*" 4lt'ou%' t'e ci(ic elements moti(ate

eole to uni*, oten t'e et'nic are catal*sers" -'ereore, Smit' claims

t'at et'nic)ci(ic rame8or$ 8ould resem+le more to a continuum 8it' t8o

oles suc' as olitical sectrum; t'an to a t*olo%* or classiAcation

8'ere nations 8ould +e settled closer o urt'er a8a* rom one ole

11;" Conse>uentl*, t'e ci(il and et'nic nations are not mutuall*

e@clusi(e and it is Smit'Ds oint t'at: B&(er* nationalism contains ci(ic and

et'nic elements in (ar*in% de%rees and di/erent orms" Sometimes ci(ic

and territorial elements redominate at ot'er times it is t'e et'nic and

(ernacular comonents t'at are em'asi?ed 1;" -o di% urt'er in t'e

doctrine o nationalism 'e de(oted man* o 'is te@ts to et'nical ori%ins o

t'e nation and one o t'e t'eories 'e de(eloed is et'no)s*m+olism"


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!" &t'no)s*m+olism

-'e et'no)s*m+olist t'eor* ro(ides an insi%'t into re)modernist

orms o collecti(e identit* rooted in t'e culture or 8'at Smit' reers to as

ethnies


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Montene%rins accent t'e e@istence o t'eir distincti(e lan%ua%es alt'ou%'

t'e* di/erentiate onl* sli%'tl* in most o t'e lin%uistic asects"2

Ne(ert'eless, t'ese sli%'t di/erences are suLcient to +reed a 8'ole

culture and conse>uentl* a di/erent nation" Hence, +ot' in t'e e*es o in)

%rou mem+ers and t'e outsiders t'ere is a B+oundar* s'ain% t'e

contours o one nation and t'e eelin%s o +elon%in% to it as 8ell as

eelin%s o di(isions to8ards all ot'er communities Smit', 200;" Finall*,

common (alues, memories, rituals and traditions contri+ute to u'oldin%

t'e continuit* 8it' t'e ast" it'in a nation, t'ere is %enerall* a

8idesread accetance o national s*m+ols suc' as =a%, ant'em or

national 'olida* i+id;" 4lt'ou%' t'ese can c'an%e o(ertime in content,

t'eir orm and t'e concet t'e* illustrate remain in'erentl* t'e same"

-'e Bs*m+olic realm o t'ese (alues, as Smit' calls it, allo8s t'e

entrance into t'e inner 8orld o articular nation" -'e content o

nationalist ideolo%ies and mo(ements or t'e distincti(e s'ae o nations is

onl* (isi+le t'rou%' t'e s*m+ols t'e* u'old 200;" .esite t'e

a+stractness o t'e s*m+olic realm and t'e s*m+ols t'emsel(es, t'e*

materiali?e into a social realit* +* s'ain% +e'a(iour o t'e %rou or in t'iscase a nation" &t'no)s*m+olist t'eor* 'as +een accused o leanin% too

muc' to8ards su+jecti(e account o nation ori%in and e@istence due to

suc' actors too ocused on eole and eelin%sattitudes;" Ho8e(er,

Smit' e@lains t'at rimaril* Bit is not clear 8'et'er t'e old oosition o

su+jecti(e and o+jecti(e actors 'as an* e@lanator* (alue, %i(en t'e act

t'at man* o t'e traits or elements included in an* account arta$e o

+ot' $inds o dimension and secondl* t'at 'is t'eor* is simultaneousl*su+jecti(ist and o+jecti(ist 200;" He concludes:

BIn an* case, et'no)s*m+olic aroac'es are al8a*s

crossin% t'e ar+itrar*; line +et8een t'em, and t'e concets

t'e* emlo* can +e seen as simultaneousl* o+jecti(eD and

su+jecti(eD" For et'no)s*m+olists, it is culture E and culture

2 -'e e@amles o #al$an countries are not ro(ided +* Smit' necessaril*, +utt'e* do illustrate 'is oint o et'nic ori%in o nations 8ell"


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in relation to olitics E t'at is central, not su+jecti(e

attitudes or eelin%s" 4nd +* cultureD is meant ar more t'an

ideas or ideals Smit', 200;"

&t'no)s*m+olist t'eor* remains a oint o discussion amon% sc'olars o

nations and nationalism, +ut its o(erall contri+ution to t'e Aeld as a res'

and inno(ati(e aroac' t'at rejects +ot' erennial and modernist sc'ool

o t'ou%'t, +ut com+ines some o t'eir eatures at t'e same time, stands

+e*ond disute"

" -'e .i/usion o Nationalism

Since t'e et'nic s*m+ols come rom ast %lories and e(ents, one o

Smit's earl* 8or$s includes an article on some 'istorical and sociolo%ical

ersecti(es o nationalism di/usion 1;" He starts +* outlinin% t'ree

common 8a*s in 8'ic' nationalism is understood" First, t'e term is used

to descri+e t'e %enesis o a nation or t'e rocess o nation)+uildin% t'at

oten correlates 8it' state)+uildin% in estern literature i+id;" Second, it

reers to creation o national consciousness and sense o +elon%in% to a

%rou o eole and t'e common set o +elies and ractices" -'is

e@lanation is t'e mainstream one, a(oured +* man* 'istorians and

sociolo%ists accordin% to Smit'" -'e t'ird 8a* in 8'ic' nationalism is

%enerall* understood is as an ideolo%ical mo(ement t'at aims at

esta+lis'in% autonom* and state'ood amon% oulations di/erentiated +*

common territor*, culture, solidarit* and so on" Nationalism is t'ereuon

oten esta+lis'ed as omniresent and uni(ersall* di/used

Smit' >uestions t'is uni(ersalit* +* loo$in% into 'istorical and

sociolo%ical ar%umentation +e'ind it" In re%ards to social mo(ements t'at

are mo+ilisers o olitical c'an%e, 'e claims t'at sociolo%ical t'eories lac$

e@lanator* o8er" .i/usion model, on t'e ot'er 'and, 8'ere o8er o

ideas are stimulators o nationalism, is or Smit' too secular in t'e sense


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t'at t'e* oten o(erloo$ t'e et'nic element" He continues to searate t8o

le(els o di/usion resent in t'ese studies: di/usion o ideas and

ideolo%ies more 'istorical; and imact o one set o social and olitical

institutions on t'e ot'ers" Ne(ert'eless, t'e Arst one is accordin% to 'im

Btautolo%ical and inade>uate +ecause it does not ans8er t'e >uestion

8'* t'e articular idea 8ould +e stron% enou%' to o(ert'ro8 e@istin%

norms" B'at 8e re>uire to e@lainOand 8'at in(ocation o a uni(ersal

Pneed to +elon%P cannot e@lainOis 8'* men 'a(e c'osen to transer t'eir

alle%iances, acti(ities and identit* deAnitions rom t'ese ot'er, oten

cometin%, units to t'at o t'e nation)state and 8'* t'e* 'a(e done so

onl* recentl* Smit', 1;" -'e second one is rejected on a similar +asis

assertin% t'at nationalism cannot +e Bic$ed u a+road +* elites and

disseminated at 'ome as 8ell as an e@tensi(e reliance on t'e statements

o nationalists t'emsel(es 8'en e@lainin% t'e di/usion"

-'e alternati(e model o di/usion is o/ered +* 'im and in order to +e

successul it needs to encomass se(eral elements" From t'e +e%innin%,

t'e rocess o di/usin% nationalism must +e laced in +ot' %lo+al and

local conte@t and t'e role o e@ternalities needs to +e e@amined" -'en, oneneeds to loo$ or t'e no(elt* in t'is occurrence t'at does not comletel*

de* t'e uni(ersal diussionist model +ut carries some ori%inalit* o its

o8n" Smit' urt'er identiAes moderni?ation, caitalism and +ureaucrac* as

e@lanator* rocesses o suc' occurrences" Moderni?ation su%%ests

transormation +rou%'t a+out t'rou%' estern imact" For e@amle, t'e

rise o 4rican nationalism 'as ine(ita+l* +een in=uenced +* olitical,

cultural and economic actors comin% rom e@ternit*" Caitalism, on t'econtrar*, is not a (er* %ood alternati(e +ecause as t'e e@amle o earl*

t8entiet')centur* a?a$'s or 4ra+s demonstrate, t'eir economies 8ere

not +ased uon t'e commodit* mar$et nor 8ere t'e* emlo*in% a lar%e

orce o 8a%e)earnin% la+ourers, at a time 8'en t'eir nationalism emer%ed

i+id;" In contrast, +ureaucrac* seems to +e a (er* lausi+le e@lanation

since t'e Prational)le%alP t*e o +ureaucrac* en'ances t'e Bincororation

o, and reliance uon, scientiAc met'ods and imersonal tec'ni>ues oor%ani?ation t'rou%' 8'ic' t'e risin% intelli%entsia o societies imortin%


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nationalism rom t'e est sou%'t to ele(ate t'eir status i+id;" Smit'

concludes t'at Bit is ossi+le to s'o8 t'at e(er* case o nationalism, in t'e

sense o a mo(ement or autonom* and identit* o a unit claimed +* some

o its mem+ers to constitute a PnationP, 'as +een receded +* attemts to

ma$e t'e rele(ant rulin% +ureaucrac* more scientiAc and e/ecti(e

1;" 9ltimatel*, 'e %oes +ac$ to t'e et'nic roots o a nation claimin%

t'at it is articulate, sel)conscious and essentiall* 'istorical e(en in laces

8'ere nationalism is a roduct o artiAcial territor* created +* colonial

+ureaucrac* +ecause it orces t'e educated to in(ent t'e et'nicit*"


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5" Conclusion

(erall, t'is aer introduced t'e main assumtions and %rass o

4nt'on* ." Smit'Ds t'eories and contri+utions to t'e stud* o nationalism"

First, t'e di/erentiation +et8een et'nic and ci(ic nationalisms 8as

esta+lis'ed to ascertain Smit'Ds osition t'at lies +et8een +ot' o t'ese"

Second, 'is t'eor* o et'no)s*m+olism t'at claims eac' nation uses

s*m+ols t'at stem rom 'istorical m*t's and (alues to create co'esi(e

sense o national identit*" 7ast, t'e aer outlined major remises o

Smit'Ds attitude uon di/usion o nationalism across t'e Aelds o sociolo%*

and 'istor* as 8ell as anal*sed 'is ar%ument t'at onl* certain e@ternal

e(ents ma* in=uence nation)ormation, +ut t'at et'nicit* is a crucial

element t'at must +e created i it is non)e@isted" In t'e end, Smit' is a

muc' resected aut'or amon% t'e sc'olars o nationalism and 'is 8or$ is

e@tremel* imortant or understandin% t'e meanin% o t'is concet or

Bdoctrine E as 'e reers to it E in t'e modern 8orld t'at is still torn +* t'e

con=icts +et8een di/erent national identities"


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3&F&3&NC&S


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-'e 9$rainian ee$, 2012" 4ackgrounds of Nations +nthony (. "mith onthe 5ast and 5resent of Nationalism" 4(aila+le at:'tt:u$rainian8ee$"com6olitics5K00" 4ccessed: !0 Ma* 15"
http://ukrainianweek.com/Politics/57600http://ukrainianweek.com/Politics/57600

Anthony D. Smith's contribution to the study of Nationalism

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