Revisiting Nationalism : Theories and Processes

Offers English reading public an opportunity to understand theories of nationalism from the standpoint of a group of renowned French scholars. This work has a thematic and transversal structure that allows the contributors to discuss theoretical, normative, or analytical issues.

Nationalism has become a major topic in social science research, and the contributors to "Revisiting Nationalism" seek to sharpen the theoretical focus of what is now a crowded field of intellectual enquiry. Their approach is fourfold. First, they question dominant theories. Second, they discuss the 'identity checklist' used to gauge whether language, folklore, history, and religion can be mobilized on behalf of nationalism. Third, they examine nationalism's dark side, when it precipitates populism or political violence. And finally, they revisit debates concerning the nature of post-nationalism and cosmopolitanism. Unlike most readers on nationalism, this book is organised not by means of country-centred or regional case studies; instead it has a thematic and transversal structure that allows the contributors to discuss theoretical, normative, or analytical issues. It also profiles in one volume some of the key research by leading Francophone authors who have reinvigorated scholarly research into nationalism.