Jun 06 2006
Study Notes: Ethnonationalism
Ethnonationalism by Walker Connor.
Chapter Two: critiques against American nationalism scholarship
Ethnicity as “merely one of a number of minor impediments”. Will give way to a common identity through “nation-building”
Only 9.1% out of 132 can be said as homgeneous. 23.5% (23 states) the largest ethnic element represents only 50%-74% of the population.
Karl Deutsch: social mobilzation. The rate of assimilation higher among uprooted and mobilized population than that of secluded populations close to soil.
A decisive factor in national assimilation was found to be the proces sof social mobilization… (again Deutsch)
To the contrary (of Deutsch’s assimilation or nation-building theory), a global survey illustrates that ethbic consciousness is definitely in the ascendancy as a politcal force. (p35) See West European examples.
Social mobilization need not lead to a transfer of primary allegiance from the ethnic group to the state is therefore clear. Material increases … tend to increase cultural awareness and to exacerbate interethnic conflict. Cultural self-preservation. P36
It is not the media, but the message: self-determination of nations and its brief history: self-evident truth.
In its pristine form, the doctrine makes ethnicity the ultimate measure of political legitimacy. p38
Nation-state: nationalism as loyalty to state, regionalism parochialism , etc. affinity to “nation”. delink state-nation p40, 41
The study of nationalism in the 20th century has been heavily influenced by the experiences o fGermany and Japan… (but they are exceptions!) p41
Nation as a self-differentiating ethnic group. p42 A nation is a group of people characerized by a myth of common descent. p75
Language as symbol (but not part of ethnicity p46) … As a result of the tendency … to describe ethnopsychological phenomena in terms of tangilbe considretaions, the true nature and power of ethnic feelings are not probed. P44
Economic factors are likely to come in a poor second when competing with emotionalism of ethnic nationalism… there are even cases in which separatist movements exist despite the fact that the group … is more advanced economically. p47
Discussion of black nationalism as to debunk American nationalism tradition/myth. The American experience: people left voluntarily to seek common goal. P49-50
The prime cause of political disunity is the absence of a single psychological focus shared by all segments of the population. p56
Tangilble symptoms vs. essence. Seems to advocate a profound reagard for the psychological and emotional dimensions of ethnonational identity (including Anthony D Smith) p73-4
On unwarranted exaggeration of the influence of materialism upon human affairs P74
Implies nationalistic psychology roots in the mass (what the masses have felt …) p75
Horowitz: experimental psychology; Pierre van den Berghe: literature on socibiology has much in common with ethnic identity. p75
The nature of nationalism … Kohn’s quote: what they have in common and what is peculiar to each … p76
But readers are “often disappointed” because the dissimilarities among teh societies … too-facile analogies have resulted in highly questionable conclusions. The absence of perfect analogies… p77
Break down of different types of nation-state for study/comparison. p77-80
In studying minority’s attitude toward majority: demographically, under 35 and high % of professional people. p82
Ethnonationalism is a mass phenomenon, and keeping this in mind should counteract the tendency to overempahsize the role of elites as its impresarios. p85