The Nation in History: Historiographical Debates about Ethnicity and Nationalism

by Anthony D. Smith

In this thought-provoking new book, Anthony Smith analyses key debates between historians and social scientists on the role of nations and nationalism in history. In a wide-ranging analysis of the work of historians, sociologists, political scientists and others, he argues that there are three key issues which have shaped debates in this first, the nature and origin of nations and nationalism; second, the antiquity or modernity of nations and nationalism; and third, the role of nations and nationalism in historical, and especially recent, social change. Anthony Smith provides an incisive critique of the debate between modernists, perennialists and primordialists over the origins, development and contemporary significance of nations and nationalism. Drawing on a wide range of examples from antiquity and the medieval epoch, as well as the modern world, he develops a distinctive ethnosymbolic account of nations and nationalism. This important book by one of the world's leading authorities on nationalism and ethnicity will be of particular interest to students and scholars in history, sociology and politics.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Anthony D. Smith was Professor Emeritus of Nationalism and Ethnicity at the London School of Economics, and is considered one of the founders of the interdisciplinary field of nationalism studies. His best-known contributions to the field are the distinction between 'civic' and 'ethnic' types of nations and nationalism, and the idea that all nations have dominant 'ethnic cores'. While Smith agreed with other authors that nationalism is a modern phenomenon, he insisted that nations have pre-modern origins.

Reviews

[tekla · Rating 2 out of 5]

probably has to do with the fact that i was forced to read this for a university exam but i honestly found his position so ambigue and uninteresting¿ he was never actually saying anything concise or new, and moreover i found his insights to be just intuitive by nature.

[frisco - فریسکو · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sono onesto: sicuramente c'entra anche il fatto che preferisco altri autori, e che "l'etnosimbolismo" di A.D. Smith proprio non riesco a concepirlo.
Però questo libro, con tutti i concetti quali "l'ethnie" di Smith stesso, più gli altri delle diverse scuole del dibattito scientifico che Smith si propone di elencare e valutare, è davvero troppo succinto, e dà tante cose per scontate; certamente non è il primo libro da leggere per avvicinarsi all'argomento, così interessante, del nazionalismo, dell'origine delle nazioni, del loro stesso significato, e della costruzione della "mitologia" nazionale.

[Supriyo Chaudhuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting historiography of nationalism covering a lot of ground, organised around three major debates - about the nature of nations (organic and primordial or voluntary and political), origins of nationalism (perennial or modern) and its role in historical change (socially constructed or ethnosymbolic). I found it heavy going in places and wondered how it was delivered as a lecture, with many themes and ideas jostling with one another, but found it useful in writing an essay.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reasonable account of the debate around nationalism and ethnicity among mostly British historians. It's ironic that it has a nationalist focus itself which skews the narrative.