4.4: At Home and Abroad - World Society or Rising Nationalism?

 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Recognize tensions between nationalism and global society

Nation v. Global Society

“I am a citizen of the world.” This is a popular refrain heard among university students studying abroad, often reflecting a cosmopolitan outlook and the cumulative experiences of living in different countries. It reflects a borderless world view and expansive life horizons. Being a citizen of the world draws attention to and even critiques modern ideas about a key concept in the study of politics, the nation. A nation refers to a population of people with a shared sense of identity. This often derives from a common language, historical narratives, faith traditions, foodways, and cultural practices, among other factors. The nation is a powerful concept, evoking strong emotions such as loyalty, love, and even contempt (for other nations). Nations are social constructs, meaning they exist only as conceived of by human beings. In the words of political scientist Benedict Anderson, nations are “imagined communities” (Anderson, 1983). Since the emergence of the modern international state system, nations have sought self-determination through statehood. As a state, a nation enjoys sovereign rights over a territory and a certain degree of autonomy. Nationalism refers to the attachment that an individual may feel toward a certain national identity; collectively, there may be strong nationalist forces within and across countries. The Kurdish nation, for example, encompasses a global diaspora that at present does not have state recognition – but among Kurds there may be a strong attachment to Kurdish identity and by extension Kurdish nationalism.

 

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\):  This page from the first Muslim atlas of the world, the Cedid Atlas, Kurdistan is depicted in the two blue areas. Today the Kurdish nation is stateless. (public domain; Library of Congress via wikipedia)

 

A nation is sometimes at odds with the forces in a globalizing world. International organizations, especially those which seek to assert identities beyond and above nations, exist in tension with the nationalist impulses within a given country. The European Union (EU), for example, has sought to build a European identity and attract the allegiances of people who identify as French or Italian or German. There have also been pan-African and pan-Arab organization-building efforts, though none have been as deeply integrated as the EU. Looking beyond the creation of regional identities, some would argue that globalization has pushed everyone to consume the same foods and wear the same global brands. Global forces have exerted pressure on governments to adopt, however superficially, the institutions associated with democracy such as elections and legislatures. The homogenizing pressures of globalization push against the assertion of a distinct identity that is the hallmark of a nation.

The tug-of-war between nationalism and globalization is evident in rising nationalist movements in various countries around the world. While nationalism is difficult to measure, especially across countries, there are some indications that nationalism gained momentum during the early decades of the Twenty-first Century. Trends in nationalism might be measured in terms of the rise of nationalist political parties or endorsement of nationalist policies, along with a rise in hate crimes (Bieber, 2018). Specific examples also highlight nationalism in the world: politicians such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi rose to prominence with declarations of Hindu nationalism, while the campaign within the United Kingdom to leave the EU, the so-called Brexit campaign, rode to victory on nationalist rhetoric. Far-right political parties and candidates across Eurasia gained vote shares through the 2020s.

The United States is illustrative and a significant case. During the presidency of Donald Trump (2016-2020), many Trump followers chanted “America First” rally slogans and pushed to withdraw the U.S. from international commitments such as the Paris Climate Accords. This nationalism was accompanied by xenophobic statements against immigrants, many made by Trump himself during his presidential campaign. There were calls for stronger security measures along the southern U.S. border, notably the building of a wall and stronger enforcement of immigration laws to intimidate undocumented migrants. Donald Trump was not re-elected in 2020, but the nationalist movement that he galvanized demonstrates the ways in which nationalism can drive a people toward exclusionary and anti-globalization positions. All of this is to highlight the contentious politics of globalization, refuting simple narratives of unhindered global integration.