Nationalism-Essay

This is a class on the causes and the political effects of nationalism. The first half of the course is designed to provide you with an understanding of the most prominent explanations of the emergence of nationalism across the world, and the background knowledge and tools with which to evaluate them. We will discuss the importance of conceptualization in understanding social phenomena and confront terms such as: state, nation, nationalism, patriotism, minorities, identity, ethnicity, religion, class, and race. In the second half of the course, we will focus on the effects of nationalism on political identities, patterns of political violence as well as voting, and state policies toward minorities, diasporas, and immigrants. We are going to cover cases from around the world. Students will learn how to formulate research questions, develop arguments, and evaluate hypotheses.