Nationalism Social Theory And Durkheim

Ethno-national and religious identity and violence dominate modern politics, from Northern Ireland to terrorism in Sri Lanka, the former Yugoslavia or Afghanistan and Iraq. This book shows that social theory should be a major tool in helping explain national, religious and identity problems.

A Social Theory of the Nation-State construes a novel and original social theory of the nation-state. It rejects nationalistic ways of thinking that take the nation-state for granted as much as globalist orthodoxy that speaks of its current and definitive decline.

This book examines the development of opposed Nationalist and Unionists identities as products of different economies, symbolically represented in religious differences, that impelled conflicting cultures and ideals of best interest that were fundamentally incompatible within a single identity.

Classical Sociology Beyond Methodological Nationalism defends classical sociology from the accusation of ‘methodological nationalism’. To reject such accusation, the volume presents three arguments. The first contends that classical sociology has not failed to deal with the global world (Part I). The second, that classical sociology has more frequently dealt with the transnational category of the ‘social’, rather than with the ‘national’ (Part II). The third, that where classical sociology has analysed national society, the latter has never been envisaged as a rigidly confined entity within its political boundaries (Part III). The outcome is a re-evaluation of classical sociological thought as a more functional tool for analysing the political forms of modernity in the era of globalisation. Contributors include: Vittorio Cotesta, David Inglis, Austin Harrington, Massimo Pendenza, Michael Schillmeier, Emanuela Susca, Dario Verderame, and Federico Trocini.

A perennial subject for sociologists, nationalism, the focus of this study, is persistent, not merely because of its specific ideological appeal, but because it expresses some of the major conflicts in Western social development.

While there has been a spate of books concerned with race and ethnicity in Europe more specifically, this timely volume offers a broader perspective and positions issues of identity, ethnicity, multiculturalism, xenophobia, regionalism and ethnonationalism within the wider contexts of trans- and supranationalism. With the weakening of welfare states and the homogenizing influences of globalization, nations within both Eastern and Western Europe are discovering that the battlefield of political action is being redefined, and as a result emotional alliances threaten to bypass the democratic systems of the past. Offering fresh insights that are both empirically and theoretically informed, this book illuminates the processes and consequences of these new developments. In particular, it reviews Marx's, Durkheim's and Simmel's theories on nationalism and national identity, and presents case studies of Belgium, Italy's Northern League, right-wing intellectual production in Russia, and much more.

This is a new era where the very notion of collective identity is challenged

`Spencer and Wollman remain succinct and clear in their critical introduction to the most influential nationalism theories. The book is well structured, the arguments clearly presented. Its format makes it a great textbook for all seeking a deeper understanding of nationalism and national identity, while those already familiar with the subject will no doubt enjoy this erudite volume as well′ - Sociology `This book is a valuable source for the interested reader who needs a concise and critical introduction into theories and theorists of nationalism. The extensve bibliography and a good index make it a work which should be on the bookshelf of anyone teaching nationalism′ - Journal of Contemporary European Studies Nationalism provides an indispensable review of the study of nationalism that both introduces and critically positions all the main issues, theories and contemporary debates. Drawing upon and introducing a wide range of literatures from across politics, sociology, history, social anthropology and cultural studies, the authors seek to further challenge fixed notions of national identity, ethnicity and culture to more fully explore and understand the contemporary complexities of citizenship and the genuine potential for a cosmopolitan democracy. The text surveys both classical and contemporary approaches including those from within feminism, postmodernism, postcolonialism and globabalization studies. It will be essential reading for all students and academics seeking a deeper understanding of nationalism and national identity today.