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What is Nationalism Really? Understanding the Limitations of Rigid Theories in Dealing with the Problems of Nationalism and Ethnonationalism
Author(s) -
Haymes Thomas
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
nations and nationalism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1469-8129
pISSN - 1354-5078
DOI - 10.1111/j.1354-5078.1997.00541.x
Subject(s) - nationalism , context (archaeology) , character (mathematics) , sociology , quality (philosophy) , epistemology , political science , law , philosophy , history , politics , mathematics , geometry , archaeology
. This article examines major approaches to nationalism and ethnonationalism and posits a more flexible definition than that which is prevalent in these theories. It then goes on to look at how a more flexible approach to the study of nationalism can be used as a lens to both define and address the sources of nationalist and ethno‐nationalist conflicts. The flexible approach leads to the conclusion that the character of a particular nationalism is highly context‐sensitive and that the best way to understand the problems it creates is through an understanding of how the different levels of society interact with one another as well as with the outside world.