Anthony D. Smith

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. Seeking to do justice to these different facets of nationalism, the second edition of this popular and respected overview has been revised and updated with contemporary developments and the latest scholarly work. 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; a critical account of the often opposed histories and periodization of the nation and nationalism; and an assessment of the prospects of nationalism and its continued global power and persistence. Broad and comparative in scope, the book is strongly interdisciplinary, drawing on ideas and insights from history, political science, sociology and anthropology. The focus is theoretical, but it also includes a fresh examination of some of the main historical and contemporary empirical contributions to the literature on the subject. It will continue to be an invaluable resource for students of nationalism across the social sciences.

Theory, Ideology, History

Nationalism

Smith has produced a thorough and comprehensive survey of the diverse theories of nationalism against the backdrop of debates about modernity. In an accessible style he traces the changing view of this hotly discussed topic within the current arena.

A Critical Survey of Recent Theories of Nations and Nationalism

Nationalism and Modernism

An expert in the field analyzes the major debates between historians and social scientists on the nature and development of ethnic communities, nations, and nationalism. In concise, accessible prose, Anthony D. Smith provides a probing account of the leading assumptions and explanations of nationalism in different historical epochs. Ranging broadly over the contributions and divergent perspectives of historians, political scientists, sociologists, anthropologists, and others who have contributed to these fundamental debates, Smith codifies the most cogent responses that have been offered to three defining issues in this area: the nature and origin of the nation and nationalism; and the role of nations and nationalism in historical, and especially recent, social change. Using the examples of Persia, Israel, and Greece for long-term illustrations, Smith also discusses ethnic and national identities in France, Germany, England, Yugoslavia, and elsewhere to illuminate the uses and the meaning of alternative theories, and ends with a convincing case for the value of his own ethno-symbolist approach.

Historiographical Debates about Ethnicity and Nationalism

The Nation in History

John Stone

Rutledge M. Dennis

Xiaoshuo Hou

Polly Rizova

Arranged over five volumes and containing some 700 entries, this comprehensive and authoritative encyclopedia addresses some of the most vital and practical issues of the twenty first century Includes entries written by experts from across the social sciences and humanities, as well as other disciplines Global in scope with more contributors from Africa, China, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, and South Asia than any other reference on the topic Explores the importance and impact of race, ethnicity and nationalism on private, public and not-for-profit organizations and institutions in the modern, global world In addition to covering basic terms and concepts, the encyclopedia also includes essays that incorporate discussion and analysis of exciting new developments in the field 5 Volumes www.raceethnicitynationalism.com

The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism

Polly S. Rizova

Coo-G

The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism

Allon Gal

Athena S. Leoussi

This book brings together an array of distinguished scholars to consider diaspora nationalism. Through theoretical, typological and case-specific essays that discuss the Jewish, Greek, Armenian, Irish, Turkish, Sikh, Ukrainian, Hindu, Pentecostal and Muslim diasporas, the book shows the varieties and qualities of attachment of diaspora communities to their ancestral homelands, and the role that hostlands as well as the immigrants play in the form and intensity of these attachments. Setting contemporary diaspora nationalisms in the context of globalisation, with its ever-developing methods of transportation and communication, the book further shows the emergence of new concepts of diaspora - new notions of being at home and away from home - and of new ways of creating and sustaining ethnic networks and contact with the homeland, such as the internet and tourism.

Diaspora Nationalisms, Past and Present

The Call of the Homeland

Anthony Smith's important work on the concept of social change, first published in 1973, puts forward the paradigm of historical change as an alternative to the functionalist theory of evolutionary change. He shows that, in attempting to provide a theory of social change, functionalism reveals itself as a species of 'frozen' evolutionism. Functionalism, he argues, is unable to cope with the mechanisms of historical transitions or account for novelty and emergence; it confuses classification of variations with explanation of processes; and its endogenous view of change prevents it from coming to grips with the real events and transformations of the historical record. In his assessment of functionalism, Dr Smith traces its explanatory failures in its accounts of the developments of civilisation, modernisation and revolution. He concludes that the study of 'evolution' is largely irrelevant to the investigation of social change. He proposes instead an exogenous paradigm of social change, which places the study of contingent historical events at its centre.

A Critique of the Functionalist Theory of Social Change

The Concept of Social Change (Routledge Revivals)

Focusing on national identity in the Netherlands, France, and Britian, The Nation Made Real offers an original interpretation of the role of visual art in the making of nations in Western Europe.

Art and National Identity in Western Europe, 1600-1850

The Nation Made Real

Professor of Sociology Anthony D Smith

This book measures and explains the performance of major competitor countries in international financial services. Covering markets for a number of financial services, the author assesses performance on the basis of the shares of the major institutional players in the US, Japan, the UK, and Europe. Explanations for the contrasts in national performance are sought through interviews with senior officials of financial institutions. The book concludes by asking how the banking sectors of different countries are likely to fare as international trade in financial services is liberalised.

The Performance of Britain and Its Rivals

International Financial Markets

From the moment of God's covenant with Abraham in the Old Testament, the idea that a people are chosen by God has had a central role in shaping national identity. This text argues that sacred belief remains central to national identity, even in an increasingly secular, globalized modern world.

Anthony D. Smith

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