Key Concepts

Nationalism

Anthony D. Smith

Overview

For the last two centuries, nationalism has been a central feature of society and politics. Few ideologies can match its power and resonance, and no other political movement and symbolic language has such worldwide appeal and resilience. But nationalism is also a form of public culture and political religion, which draws on much older cultural and symbolic forms.

This book seeks to do justice to these different facets of nationalism. It aims to provide a concise and accessible introduction to the core concepts and varieties of nationalist ideology; a clear analysis of the major competing paradigms and theories of nations and nationalism – primordialist, perennialist, modernist and ethno-symbolic; a critical account of the often opposed histories and periodization of the nation and nationalism; and an assessment of the prospects of nationalism and of the current debates about the transcendence of nations and national states.

The scope of the book is broad and comparative. It is also interdisciplinary, drawing on ideas and insights from history, political science, sociology and anthropology. The focus is theoretical, but it also examines some of the main historical and contemporary empirical contributions to the literature on the subject. It concludes with a brief outline of the author's own ‘ethno-symbolic' approach to the history and prospects of nationalism, which attempts to explain its global power and persistence.

About the Author

Anthony Smith is Professor at the London School of Economics.

Table of Contents

  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • 1. Concepts
  • 2. Ideologies
  • 3. Paradigms
  • 4. Theories
  • 5. Histories
  • 6. Prospects
  • Notes
  • Bibliography

Endorsements

“This is a very useful book indeed, clearly and incisively written. Whilst this is a fine introduction to its subject, discerning readers will recognize development within Smith's own position, most notably in his emphasis on the sacred quality of nations. The discussion of the ethnic/civic distinction is the best available.”

— John Hall, Professor of Sociology, McGill University and Queen's Uiversity, Belfast

Available titles

Sort by author | title

  1. Barbara Adam, Time
  2. Alan Aldridge, Consumption
  3. Alan Aldridge, The Market
  4. Jakob Arnoldi, Risk
  5. Colin Barnes and Geof Mercer, Disability
  6. Darin Barney, Network Society
  7. Mildred Blaxter, Health 2nd edition
  8. Harriet Bradley, Gender
  9. Harry Brighouse, Justice
  10. Steve Bruce, Fundamentalism 2nd Edition
  11. Margaret Canovan, The People
  12. Alejandro Colás, Empire
  13. Anthony Elliott, Concepts of the Self 2nd Edition
  14. Steve Fenton, Ethnicity 2nd edition
  15. Michael Freeman, Human Rights
  16. Russell Hardin, Trust
  17. Geoffrey Ingham, Capitalism
  18. Fred Inglis, Culture
  19. Jennifer Jackson Preece, Minority Rights
  20. Gill Jones, Youth
  21. Paul Kelly, Liberalism
  22. Anne Mette Kjær, Governance
  23. Ruth Lister, Poverty
  24. Jon Mandle, Global Justice
  25. Anthony Payne and Nicola Phillips, Development
  26. Judith Phillips, Care
  27. Michael Saward, Democracy
  28. John Scott, Power
  29. Anthony D. Smith, Nationalism
  30. Stuart White, Equality
  1. Capitalism, Geoffrey Ingham
  2. Care, Judith Phillips
  3. Concepts of the Self 2nd Edition, Anthony Elliott
  4. Consumption, Alan Aldridge
  5. Culture, Fred Inglis
  6. Democracy, Michael Saward
  7. Development, Anthony Payne and Nicola Phillips
  8. Disability, Colin Barnes and Geof Mercer
  9. Empire, Alejandro Colás
  10. Equality, Stuart White
  11. Ethnicity 2nd Edition, Steve Fenton
  12. Fundamentalism 2nd Edition, Steve Bruce
  13. Gender, Harriet Bradley
  14. Global Justice, Jon Mandle
  15. Governance, Anne Mette Kjær
  16. Health 2nd Edition, Mildred Blaxter
  17. Human Rights, Michael Freeman
  18. Justice, Harry Brighouse
  19. Liberalism, Paul Kelly
  20. The Market, Alan Aldridge
  21. Minority Rights, Jennifer Jackson Preece
  22. Nationalism, Anthony D. Smith
  23. Network Society, Darin Barney
  24. The People, Margaret Canovan
  25. Poverty, Ruth Lister
  26. Power, John Scott
  27. Risk, Jakob Arnold
  28. Time, Barbara Adam
  29. Trust, Russell Hardin
  30. Youth, Gill Jones

 

Forthcoming titles

  1. Garrett Wallace Brown, Cosmopolitanism
  2. Craig Calhoun, Community
  3. Keith Dowding, Rational Choice
  4. Katrin Flikschuh, Freedom
  5. John Gearson, Terrorism
  6. James Gow, War
  7. Robert Jackson, Sovereignty
  8. Bob Jessop, The State
  9. Peter Jones, Toleration
  10. Keith Krause, Security
  11. Chandran Kukathas, Multiculturalism
  12. George Lawson, Revolution
  13. Christopher Phillipson, Ageing
  14. Lord Raymond Plant, Citizenship
  15. Kenneth Prandy, Social Mobility
  16. Timothy Sinclair, Global Governance