In 2010, a 26 year old fruit vender sparked a series of revolutions that reverberated in over 17 countries and territories. The vender, Mohammed Bouazizi, was selling fruits and vegetables in the rural town of Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. After having his cart disposed by police for not having a permit, Bouazizi lit himself on fire in front of a Tunisian government building. In many countries the resulting four years of turmoil produced death, ethnic strife and political overhauls. Some contend that the Arab Spring was simply a result of poor governments and the fall of authoritarian regimes. To many political scientists, widespread revolution highlighted a much more complex phenomenon of nationalist movements. The Arab Spring highlighted new threats to state control and components of revolt in the 21st century.
The Arab Spring showcased the impact of nationalist movements. Each movement originated from various causes and resulted in unique outcomes. Despite the varied nature of each country, each state produced a revolt. In this paper, I will explore the genesis of nationalist movements and seek to answer the question “What causes nationalist movements?” Nationalist theories have often failed to accurately encompass many cases of nationalism. The reason lies in the very subjective nature of nationalism due to the constantly varied agency of the actors involved. Because of this, the study of nationalism has no true definitions; instead, it is filled with loose theories. As Hugh Seton-Watson, author of Nations and States: an Enquiry into the Origins of Nations and the Politics of Nationalism (1977), writes, “I am driven to the conclusion that no ‘scientific definition’ of the nation can be devised; yet the phenomenon has existed and e...
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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.
Fulcher, James. "Globalisation, the Nation-state and Global Society." The Sociological Review 48.4 (2000): 522-43. Print.
Washington University, author Marc Lynch pens a work he titled The Arab Uprising: The Unfinished Revolutions of the New Middle East to dispel thoughts and misconceptions that unrest in the Middle East, particularly in the areas of political and social mobilizations, are in fact a new phenomenon. Utilizing his wealth of experience within the Middle East and topics pertaining to it, Lynch choose to analyze what lead to the downfall of four of the Middle East’s regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Syria along with the unfolding of events leading up to the “Arab Spring,” along with the results and aftermath of aforementioned events. The “Arab Awakening” or the “Arab Spring,” as ordained by westernized news outlets, was a series of both non-violent
“Nationalism is the belief that people’s greatest loyalty should not be to a king or an empire but to a nation of people who share a common culture and history” (McDougal 253). Before the 18th century, people of a common ethnicity accepted the king that ruled over them, even if he was from a different nation. However, after the French Revolution of 1830, smaller groups of people who shared the same history and culture began to form together and create a nation-state. The rise of nationalism in the 19th century changed Europe’s borders as nationalists strengthened and unified nations such as England and Italy, but also separated large empires like the Russian Empire.
“Nationalism” is defined as “A social and political outlook insisting that the state should embody a national community united by some or all of the following: history, ethnicity, religion, common culture, and language” . Essentially, nationalism is an intense pride for ones’ country caused by a push for national unity. Nationalism was stirred due to the sense of loss in national origin.
The rise of European nationalism in the 19th Century brought with it an overabundance amount of change that would definitively modify the course of history. The rise of nationalism in one country would rouse greater nationalism in another, which would in turn, motivate even greater nationalism in the first, progressively intensifying the cycle that eventually concluded in a World War. Nationalism as an ideology produced international competition which inspired absolute allegiance to an individual’s nation state. The ideology was fueled by industrial commerce and imperialistic developments which led to nation-states pursuits of outcompeting rival nations.
Nationalism has a long history although most scholarly research on Nationalism only began in the mid-twentieth century. Some scholars point to the French Revolution of 1789 as the birth of Nationalism. The French Revolution is seen...
Combo, the leader of a small nationalist group, were truly convinced that England was being taken over by immigrants. Nationalist movements still exist in Britain, and their influence is increasing. This essay will try to analyze why two nationalist organizations, the National Front (NF) and the more radical British National Party (BNP), arose in Britain, how they act in society today, and what consequences this has in society.
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.
The use of nationalism (defined as patriotic feelings, principles, or efforts) as a rallying point is a double-edged sword. The development of pride in, and love for, one’s nation can lead to a unified effort in its development. When carried to excess, however, it is often a basis for the subjugation of others, and a rallying cry and justification for war. It is thus a manipulative tool, readily used for good or ill depending on the motivations of those employing it. This paper will narrowly examine its development and effects in some of the events leading to and resulting from the first World War.
What is often called “the spark that started it all,” occurred on December 17, 2011 in Tunisia. A street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire to protest the corruption of the government. (Arab Spring, 2013) The 26 year old Bouazizi sold vegetables on the streets of Tunisia to make a living. His self-immolation was brought on when his cart of vegetables was confiscated by a policewoman. (Abouzeid, 2011) Bouazizi then went to the provincial headquarters to complain to officials about his situation. However, they refused to see him. Angered at the way he was being treated, Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest. (Abouzeid, 2011) He was taken to the hospital and stayed there until his death on January 4, 2011. Bouazizi’s self-immolation caused such an uproar that even Tunisia’s dictator, President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, visited him in the hospital. Bouazizi’s mother, Mannoubia, said, “Mohamed did what he did for the sake of his dignity. He lives on, his name lives on. I am proud of what happened in Tunis, I am proud that he is known throughout the Arab World.” (Abouzeid, 2011) Bouazizi’s self-immolation had such a huge impact on Tunisia that Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on January 14.
A negative implication of nationalism is that it can lead to the rise of extreme Nationalistic movements such as Nazism and Zionism. “Both of these nationalistic groups believed that the ethnic supremacy was the master race and the chosen people” (Rake, 2005). Within both this movements, there were inhumane practises in which Nazis slaughtered Jews in concentration camps and Zionists drove Palestinians out of. As illustrated in both of these cases, pride can have devastating effects. A continuing nationalist mind can evoke inhumane and immoral
These horrors caused by nationalism seem to be at the opposite end of the spectrum from the promising ideal of democracy. As Ghia Nodia pointed out, many analysts view nationalism as “fundamentally antidemocratic” (3). What these anti-nationalists fail to realize is that nationalism has also called force heroism and even sacrifice throughout history. Numerous people have risked their lives to restore democracy and civil rights in their nations, when they could easily have chosen comfortable exile elsewhere. Indeed, nationalism is the very basis of democratic government because it unites the citizens as “we the people”, supports the common political destiny, and nurtures trust toward the government.
Alexander Wendt, “Collective Identity Formation and the International State”, The American Political Science Review , Vol. 88, No. 2 (Jun., 1994), pp. 384-396
“The existing nationalism literature is a conceptual labyrinth characterized by questionable instruments, lack of empirical data, and poor explanatory power”