PLT2150

Nationalism

Paul James

8 points
* 3 hours per week
* Second semester
* Clayton

Objectives On successful completion of this subject, students should have an understanding of the contested concepts of nation-state, nation, and nationalism. They should have an appreciation of the relationship between nationalism and globalism; and have a critical overview of the key contending theories of nationalism in the contemporary period.

Synopsis `Nationalism' addresses one of the central political issues of the late twentieth century. How is it that despite the impact of globalism upon the nation-state, we have seen the revival of nationalism as a central form of political-cultural identity? From the old Eastern bloc countries to the heartlands of the West, the call of nationalism resounds. In Australia, both sides of politics evoke strong images of the nation, even while they act to deregulate the nation-state's borders. `Nationalism' is a broad-ranging and introductory subject which attempts to understand the contemporary relationship between nationalism and globalism. It introduces students to key political and social theories, and it illustrates the contradictory nature of the present situation through discussions of Europe (East and West), North America, Asia, Africa and Australia.

Assessment Essay (4000 words): 60%
* Examination (2 hours): 40%

Prescribed texts

James P Nation formation Sage, 1996

Recommended texts

Anderson B Imagined communities 2nd edn, Verso, 1991
James P (ed.) The state in question Allen and Unwin, 1996
Kellas J The politics of nationalism and ethnicity Macmillan, 1991
Smith A Nations and nationalism in a global era Polity, 1995
Balakrishnan G (ed.) Mapping the nation Verso, 1996