Nations And Nationalism In Europe

Timetable

Michal Buchowski

Nations and Nationalism in Europe, WS 2024-2025

Mondays, 10:45-12:15, Collegium Historicum (Campus Morasko), ul. Uniwersytetu  Poznańskiego 7, r. 2.20

Description:

It is accepted that nationalist ideas were born in Europe. By studying the historical development of the ideas related to nations, minorities and states we are able to contextualise and deconstruct the very process of ‘constructing the other’ as such. Some linguistic, ethnic, national and religious characteristics will be studied in terms of how they have been used in the process of constant national and ethnic identity (re-) making. With respect to nationalism, Ernest Gellner divided Europe into four major historical time zones. Central Europe, and now the so-called post-socialist Europe, is commonly conceived as a region in which nations awakened in 19th century build states, a process that contrast with western Europe where it was exactly the other way around. These circumstances have allegedly led to the creation of more ethnic and less civic forms of nationalism in the ‘East’. The intricate history has endangered various forms of mutual relations between the state and the titular nation, majorities and minorities, and between the state and minorities. International institutions such as the European Union and NGO’s also play role in shaping interethnic relations that include now also migrant communities. All of these issues will be put in an anthropological perspective that hopefully will give a comprehensive picture of the European nations, states and minorities in the hectic period of re-emerging nationalism, rightist populism and anti-migrant hatred.

 Week 1 – 07.10.2024: Introduction

Week 2 – 14.10.2024: ‘What is’ a nation?

- Ernst Renan, What is a nation? In: H. Bhabha (ed.), Nation and narration, pp. 8-22, London: Routledge 1990.

Week 3 – 21.10.2024: Genealogy of Nationalism

- Anthony D. Smith, Gastronomy or Genealogy: the Role of Nationalism in Reconstruction of Nations, Nations and Nationalism 1(1), 1995: 3-23.

Week 4 – 28.10.2024: National identities in the making – some patterns

- Anna-Marie Thiesse, The formation of national identities, In: M. Demossier (ed.), The European puzzle, pp. 15-28, Oxford: Berghahn 2007.

Week 5 – 04.11.2024: Nationalist mythology

- Geneviève Zubrzycki, History and the National Sensorium: Making Sense of Polish Mythology, Qualitative Sociology34 (2011): 21-57

 Week 6 - 11.11.2024: NO CLASS, national holiday (Independence Day)

Week 7 – 18.11.2024: Regimes of ethnicity

- Sener Akturk, Continuity and Change in the Regimes of Ethnicity in Austria, Germany, the USSR/Russia, and Turkey: Varieties of Ethnic Regimes and Hypotheses for Change, Nationalities Papers 35, 1 (2007): 23-49.

 Week 8– 25.11.2024: NO CLASS (conference)

 Week 9 – 02.12.2024: State and nation in the European ‘time zones’

- Bill Kisane and Nick Sitter, The marriage of state and nation in European constitutions, Nations and Nationalism 16(1), 2010: 49-67.

 Week 10 – 09.12.2024: Religion and Nationalism

- Rogers Brubaker, Religions and nationalism: four approaches, Nations and Nationalism 18(1): 2-20.

 Week 11 –16.12.2024: Ethnic cleansing

Marina Cattaruzza, ‘Last stop expulsion: the minority question and forced migration in East-Central Europe: 1918-1949, Nations and Nationalism 16(1), 2010: 108-126.

24.12.2024-07.01.2025: WINTER HOLIDAYS

Week 12 – 13.01.2025: Ethno-religious cleansing

- Hough Poulton, The Muslim experience in the Balkan States 1919-1991, Nationalities Papers 28(1): 44-66.

Week 13 – 20.01.2025: Neo-Nationalism

- Marcus Bank, Performing neo-nationalism, In: A. Gingrich and M. Bank (eds.), Neo-nationalism in Europe and beyond, pp. 50-65, Oxford: Berghahn 2006.

Week 14 – 27.01.2025: Neo-Nationalism and Kinship

- Marianne Gullestad, Imagined kinship in Norway, In: A. Gingrich and M. Bank (eds.), Neo-nationalism in Europe and beyond, pp. 69-91, Oxford: Berghahn 2006.

Week 15 – 03.02.2025: Summary session

Module aim (aims)

1. Having knowledge about theories of nationalism; 2. Developing ability to critically asses different discourses about nations and nationalism; 3. Gaining knowledge about major facts and issues related to nationalism in the contemporary world; 4. Gaining knowledge about major facts and issues related to nationalism in the contemporary world

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

1. Good knowledge of English; 2. Basic knowledge about what is nation and what is nationalism; 3.. Criticall understanding of social and cultural mechanisms involved in groups' creation and social inclusion and exclusion

Syllabus

Week 1: Intorduction and overview of the course themes and ideas; Week 2. "What is a nation" and what is nationalism?; Week 3: Genealogy of Nationalism; Week 4: National identities in the making – some patterns; Week 5: Regimes of ethnicity; Week 6: State and nation in the European ‘time zones’; Week 7: Nationalism mythology; Week 8: Religion and Nationalism;  Week 9: Ethnic cleansings in Central Europe - an overview; Week 10: Ethno-religious cleansing of Muslims; Week 11: Ethnic cleansings on Polish territories; Week 12: Neo-Nationalism; Week 13: Neo-Nationalism and kinship; Week 14: Nationalism and Populism; Week 15: Nationalism and Europeanization

Reading list

Remark: Reading list can be modified and updated

1. General Reading: Ernest Gellner, Nations and Natioalism, Oxford: Blackwell 1983; 2. Ernst Renan, What is a nation? In: H. Bhabha (ed.), Nation and narration, pp. 8-22, London: Routledge 1990; 3. Anthony D. Smith, Gastronomy or Genealogy: the Role of Nationalism in reconstruction of Nations, Nations and Nationalism 1(1), 1995: 3-23; 4. Anna-Marie Thiesse, The formation of national identities, In: M. Demossier (ed.), The European puzzle, pp. 15-28, Oxford: Berghahn 2007; 5. Sener Akturk, Continuity and Change in the Regimes of Ethnicity in Austria, Germany, the USSR/Russia, and Turkey: Varieties of Ethnic Regimes and Hypotheses for Change, Nationalities Papers 35, 1 (2007): 23-49; 6. Bill Kisane and Nick Sitter, The marriage of state and nation in European constitutions, Nations and Nationalism 16(1), 2010: 49-67; 7. Geneviève Zubrzycki, History and the National Sensorium: Making Sense of Polish Mythology, Qualitative Sociology 34 (2011): 21-57; 8. Rogers Brubaker, Religions and nationalism: four approaches, Nations and Nationalism 18(1): 2-20; 9. Marina Cattaruzza, ‘Last stop expulsion: the minority question and forced migration in East-Central Europe: 1918-1949, Nations and Nationalism 16(1), 2010: 108-126; 10. Hough Poulton, The Muslim experience in the Balkan States 1919-1991, Nationalities Papers 28(1): 44-66; 11. Bernd Lineck, “De-Germanization” and “Re-Polonization” in Upper Silesia, 1945-1950, in: P. Ther (ed.) Redrawing nations: Ethnic cleansing in East Central Europe, Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield 2001; 12. Marcus Bank, Performing neo-nationalism, In: A. Gingrich and M. Bank (eds.), Neo-nationalism in Europe and beyond, pp. 50-65, Oxford: Berghahn 2006; 13. Marianne Gullestad, Imagined kinship in Norway, In: A. Gingrich and M. Bank (eds.), Neo-nationalism in Europe and beyond, pp. 69-91, Oxford: Berghahn 2006; 14. Hans-Ge0g Betz, Xenophobia, Identity Politics and Exclusionary Populism in Western Europe, In: Leo Panitch and Colin Leys (eds.), Fighting Identities: Race, Religion and Ethno-Nationalism, The Socialist Register, London: Merlin Press 2003; 15. Hans-Jörg Trenz, The Saga of Europeanisation: On the Narrative Construction of a European Society. Oslo: Arena Working Paper 7/2014; 15.