Mapping the field: theories of nationalism and the ethnosymbolic approach
Year: 2006
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: To be fully understood, the ethnosymbolic approach, developed by Anthony D. Smith, must be placed in the context of a larger body of literature on nations and nationalism. Two streams of thought are particularly important here: instrumentalism as opposed to primordialism, and modernism as opposed to perennialism. This chapter will explore those theories with which Smith has most oft engaged, placing his own approach within a larger cross-disciplinary context. The scope of this volume compels me to be highly selective: I will only deal with those theories with which Smith has most persistently interacted. Th e reader will not find here much about other theories like rational choice, which still dominates US academia. The chapter will conclude with an exploration of the limits of ethnosymbolism as a tool for interpreting current events and conflicts.
Author: Daniele Conversi
Language: English
Subfield: Geography, Planning and Development
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1523774097