Nationality and Nationalism

Chapter 7.01: Nationality and Nationalism

1. Nationalism

This can be considered to be both a centrifugal and centripetal force. Nationalism’s centrifugal tendencies arise when nations adopt a perverse breed of this force, and therefore divides a nation. This was evidenced in Hitler’s Nazi Germany, in which the hyper-nationalism afforded to ethnic Protestant-Germans by the government created a steep divide with the German-Jews. Nazi public policy, which was essentially a manifestation of ethnocentrism, segregated Jews and non-Germans into ghettos and concentration camps.

Nationalism’s centripetal facet most often displays itself in the wake of natural disasters. For instance, after the terrorist attack in New York City on September 11, 2001, there was a resurgence of nationalism in that Americans of all creeds, ethnicities, and races banded together in unity. The American flag was displayed everywhere and a sense of American pride enveloped the nation.

Ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism’s identification as centrifugal and centripetal is predicated upon a nation’s diversity. For instance, in a homogenous society, such as Japan, ethnocentrism proves to be a unifying force since nearly all members of that society share the same culture and ancestry, and therefore, no division is caused as a result of cultural differences, making ethnocentrism a centripetal force.

Conversely, in an ethnically and culturally diverse nation such as the United States, ethnocentrism is an extremely divisive force in that one culture within a nation views another culture as inferior. This was evident in the pre-Civil Rights Era in the United States, when White culture was deemed inferior to Black culture, which resulted in institutionalized division via government-enforced segregation.

Civil War

Considering the fact that a civil war is fought between two factions of society, and epitomizes social division, it acts as a centrifugal force on society. For instance, the Spanish Civil War, which was fought between Spanish nationalists, backed by militant, socialist countries, and Spanish Republicans, composed of regional nations and Communists, divided Spanish society and resulted in social division amongst Spaniards from the central region of the countries and the outlying territories of Catalunya and the Basque Country. This division is still present today, as these two territories hold annual referendums demanding their independence from Spain.

1. Response #1

The United States is indeed a nation state since “nation states have a unique, cultural, political, and economic culture.” Most –if not all- Americans share the ideology of personal liberty, economic prosperity, and admiration of good work ethic. These common ideological beliefs translate into a unique entrepreneurial and capitalist spirit, shared by the majority of American Society. These aforementioned beliefs are cultural touchstones that all Americans, regardless of creed or national origin, as residents of this country strive for the same goal: “The American Dream.” It is through this common desire that the United States’ homogeny allows for its categorization as a nation state.