Nationalism : history and theory / Paul Lawrence.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lawrence, Paul.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nationalism.

Physical Description:

245 pages ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Harlow, England ; New York : Pearson Education, 2005.

Summary:

Nations and nationalism have shaped the world we know today, and yet they have consistently confounded attempts at systematic analysis. Lawrence examines the historiography of nationalism from 1850 to the present day to discover why the almost ubiquitous phenomena of nations and nationalism have proved so intangible and why so many conflicting theories are being advanced to this day.

Lawrence explores the massive changes that have taken place in the way in which nations and nationalism have been conceptualised - from nations viewed as 'natural' and unproblematic, to a recognition of the role played by politicians in consciously engineering national sentiment, and a view that nations (and hence nationalism) have their roots in specific cultural developments. He argues that theories and explanations of nationalism have been inextricably linked to contemporary political concerns. While historians have often claimed to write dispassionately about nationalism, they have found it hard to break free from the shackles of their own national and political backgrounds.

A concise, accessible analysis of a complex field, this book is essential reading for anyone wanting to equip themselves with a theoretical understanding of why we live in nations, and why we invest them with such significance.

Contents:

1 Introduction: definitions and debates 1

2 Early theoretical debates, 1848-1914 17

Nineteenth-century historiography and nationalism 20

Early contributions to a 'theory' of nationalism 31

Marxism and the early contribution of the social sciences 41

3 Interwar debates, 1918-39 59

The impact of the First World War 62

Psychology and theories of nationalism 72

'Pioneering' historians of nationalism during the 1930s 83

4 The origins of 'classical modernism', 1945-69 107

The Second World War and the 'peculiarity' of German nationalism 110

Historians and nationalism in the 1950s and 1960s 123

Early 'classical modernism' 133

5 The rise and fall of 'classical modernism', 1970-2003 159

The consolidation of 'classical modernism' 163

Ethno-symbolism and the challenge to 'classical modernism' 180

Recent theoretical innovation 198.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0582438012

OCLC:

55797854