The Relationship Between National Identity and State-building

1343 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Importance of cultural identity introduction

Taking indication from the book, Nations and Nationalism, I understand the concept of Nation and State as two different islands, formed independently, without the support from the other one and a bridge that links them is Nationalism (Gellner 1983). The people who consider themselves as part of a nation are more homogeneous group in terms of religion, culture, language etc., and tend to be psychologically connected as against the State which has a geographic boundary and heterogeneous mixture of people from diverse groups. However, the purpose of this essay is not to define these concepts, but to understand if there is any relationship between people identifying themselves as belonging to one particular nation and whether this identification conduces the development of that nation. For the purpose of this essay, I would like to consider State building in terms of socioeconomic development of the State in question, than a mere political process of establishment of the State with defined territory. I would like to examine from my understanding of Indian history and my present day experiences to see how such a relationship between people identifying themselves to India and the progress of the State in two different time frames one at the time of freedom struggle and post-independence period and the situation that is existing contemporary.
Culture has a prominent role in germinating national identity among the people, as Fanon (1963) in his book Wretched of the Earth describes that the colonizers have a tendency to impose their culture on the people whom they have colonized and this aggravates the people (ibid), the British in India enforced the Indian soldiers to use the cartridges greased with fat of cow and pig. As the cow is c...

... middle of paper ...

...in Africa', African Identities 4(1): 71-88.
PlanningCommission, G.o.I. '1st Five Year Plan'. Accessed 11/18 2013 .
Pritchett, L. and Bhattacharya, S. (2012) 'Achilles’ Heel of Social Policy' The New Indian Express, Op-Ed.
Raghu, D. (Last updated 2011) 'what was the Immediate Cause of the Revolt of 1857?'. Accessed 11/18 2013 .
Sarma, N.A. (1958) 'Economic Development in India: The First and Second Five Year Plans', Palgrave Macmillan Journals on behalf of the International Monetary Fund 6(2): 180-238.
Jeremy Seabrook (2004) 'Economic Growth Vs. Human Survival' Third World Network Features.
Singh, B. (2010) 'Paramountcy, Princes and Sardar Patel (1858-1947)', Doctor of Philosophy. Patiala: Punjabi University.

Show More
Related

  • Nationalism and Sectionalism

    515 Words  | 2 Pages

    1. The three components of the American System were establishing a new protective tariff, starting a new transportation system and restoring the national bank. Henry Clay thought that each of these components would strengthen and unify the nation because he thought the American system would unite the nation’s economic resources because the south would grow food and raise animals that the north would eat and in return the south would by the manufactured goods the north made. A new transportation system would allow trade between the north and the south. Now America could finally become independent economically. And the tariff would help because during the War of 1812 British merchants brought a great deal of products to the United States and sold them at much lower prices than American made goods, so the tariff would raise the prices of the British goods so the American merchants could sell their products at a lower price.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Not Again By Arundhati Roy

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    Though the world economy as a whole has grown in recent years, a factor that is not taken into account is that the number “of the poor in the world has increased by 100 million” (Roy 3). In other words, the gap between rich and poor is widening. For India, this has startling implications. Though it is a nation that is developing in many ways, it also is a nation blessed with over one billion citizens, a population tally that continues to grow at a rapid rate. This population increase will greatly tax resources, which can create a setback in the development process. The tragedy, of course, is that the world is full of resources and wealth. In fact, Roy quotes a statistic showing that corporations, and not even just countries, represent 51 of the 100 largest economies in the world (Roy 3). For a country struggling to develop, such information is disheartening. However, there is also a more nefarious consequence of the growing disparity between rich and poor, and power and money being concentrated in the hands of multinational corporations: war is propagated in the name of resource acquisition, and corruption can reign as multinationals seek confederates in developing countries that will help companies drive through their plans, resulting in not only environmental destruction but also the subversion of democracy (Roy 3).

    Read More

  • Importance Of Nationalism In The French Revolution

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the years, humans have constructed many unique civilizations; all which follow a distinct social, economic, and political structure. Even so, there is one characteristic that prevails among these societies, the concept of nationalism. In short, nationalism refers to the feelings people have when identifying with their nation. This simple notion possesses the ability to divide or unite collective groups, and has played an important role in many historical events.

    Read More

  • DBQ Essay: The Importance Of Nationalism

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    All over the world and in history, countries and nations have expressed pride towards their nations through spirit and have unified together as one. Nationalism is the force behind the unification, strength, and cooperation of these nations. First, nationalism is a powerful force that helps to unite all different people into a single nation. It is also important for nations to use nationalism to claim justified independence from one another. Finally, nationalism can be taken too far if it is used unjustly or incorrectly. Nationalism is important and necessary for beneficial political changes, but can become harmful and unproductive when used for a country’s personal agenda and lust for power.

    Read More

  • Social Care in the UK

    1140 Words  | 3 Pages

    Walsh M, Stephens P & Moore S Social policy and welfare, Stanley Thornes Ltd. 2000

    Read More

  • Nationalism And Nationalism

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    World War I, also known as “The Great War”, was a global war that revolved mainly around Europe. It took place from 1914 to 1918. This was a very brutal war that caused many casualties. The soldiers who survived experienced severe trauma and mental discomfort. This trauma was a direct result of the violence and agony they experienced during the war. Motivation for this war was the idea of nationalism and the pride in one’s country. This war was the cause of disillusionment among many of the soldiers that were involved in it.

    Read More

  • The Struggle to Become a Nation

    1115 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this essay, I am going to analyze the process of creating a nation in Cuba, Brazil and Mexico respectively. I am going to give a profound examination of Latin American’s struggle to become a nation. Moreover, this paper will compare and contrast critical topics such as the abolition of slavery in Brazil, racial issues and war in Cuba and social revolution in Mexico.

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of Nationalism

    594 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nationalism at its core is the support of a country. The goal of a country is to have some sort of resonance within the individuals that reside there that call themselves citizens. If the citizens don’t feel any connection with their country, they may move to find one that they feel closer too. Once found, they may support the country over others, defend it within conversations of politics or just find groups that have the same ideals they do about the country. This papers purpose is to illustrate the pros of nationalism as well as its cons.

    Read More

  • Impact of the 1942 Beveridge Report on UK Welfare State: Policy Intervention

    1925 Words  | 4 Pages

    Alcock, P. Erskine, A. and May, M (1998) The Student’s Companion to Social Policy, 2nd Edition, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Nationalism

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nationalism is more than just a sense of pride in one’s country. Nationalism is what makes you feel like part of something bigger. In order to be a nation, its people should willingly make sacrifices to benefit the country, not just the individual. Many factors like common culture, language, geographic location, and shared history are all important contributors to nationalism. Nationalism can possess great power, that is capable of either uniting or dividing nations. As nationalism flourished in Europe during the 1800’s, it unified separate Italian and German city-states, and divided previously great powers like the Ottoman Empire and Austrian Empire.

    Read More

  • Nationalism and Democracy

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nationalism has played a crucial role in world history over the past centuries. It continues to do so today. For many, nationalism is indelibly associated with some of the worst aspects of modern history, such as the destructive confidence of the Napoleon’s army and the murderous pride of Nazi Germany. Large numbers of people, descent in their hearts, have carried out unbelievable atrocities for no better reason than their nation required them to. Authoritarian and totalitarian regime have crushed dissent, eliminated opposition, and trampled on civil liberties in the name of the nation.

    Read More

  • Nation State Essay

    1568 Words  | 4 Pages

    When discussing about a nation-state it is imperative to distinguish it from other nations. A nation state is made from its political legitimacy which enables it to be a sovereign organ or a country within a component of sovereign territory (Hutchinson, 2012). The state is a geopolitical as well as a political organ and the nation is a cultural body, therefore, nation state draws its existence in both geopolitical and ethnic cultural backgrounds.

    Read More

  • Indian Nationalism and Indian Independence

    3241 Words  | 7 Pages

    BOSE, Sugata and JALAL Ayesha. Modern South Asia: history, culture, political economy. London, Routledge, 2011

    Read More

  • Primordialism Essay

    1995 Words  | 4 Pages

    This creates debates about which factors scholars should focus on for any given form of nationalism. Should scholars take a primordialist approach and focus on kinship ties, myths of ancestry, and instinctual loyalty? Or, should scholars take a situationalist approach focus upon changing economic and political factors which influence the rational decisions of individuals? Or, should scholars study nationalism as an ideology and explain the role of the state as an ideological enforcer and the role nationalism plays in securing the insecure masses? In certain cases people may think it is adequate to take all of the separate theories into considerations, mixing primordialist ideas of instinctual loyalty and myths of homeland with constructivist ideas of constructed national identity. Others argue that it is necessary to not combine the three separate approaches but to study each one to attempt to figure out which one can provide the deeper understanding. This means that when analyzing nationalism, the frameworks for nationalism are always being compared and contrasted to figure out which one can offer a better and deeper understanding; alluding to nationalist theories having different utilities in separate situations. However, when discussions of nationalism mix primordialist ideas of instinctual loyalty, situationalist ideas of rational interest and constructivist ideas

    Read More

  • Hunger in India

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mann, Harold H. 1929. “ The Agriculture of India.” Annals of the American Academy of Rolitical and Social Science. 145: 72-81. Accessed November 15, 2013. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1016888

    Read More

More about The Relationship Between National Identity and State-building

Open Document