Nationalist Ideology Flashcards
Nationalism
Political ideology, arguably one of the most influential political ideas in the world
The idea
Revolves around the idea that nations are made up of communities with unique characteristics + shared history
Marxist believe
Very critical of nationalism + regard it as being an extension of capitalist ideology, believe that the promotion of nationalism is divide and rule tatic employed by the ruiling classes
Marxists persuasion
Persuade working class people to be proud of their national identity + to be suspicious of those from other countries - wrongly convicted that they have more in common with the ruiling classes in their own country than they do with working class from other countries
Contributes towards false class consciousness
Working class people are persuaded that the reason they are struggling to access higher paid jobs + better opportunities is down to migrant workers taking the opportunities away from them, rather it being a problem with capitalism
Marxism result
Population is left easier to control + do not blame those in power
Modernist views
Nationalism was not something that really existed until the emergence of modern society + industrial capitalism
Pre-industrial era
People did not know or care about national identify + were held together in their small-scale communities
Industrial society
More complex + required people to be willing to embrace a national system of economies + laws - more impersonal, with people moving to huge urban areas for employment reasons
Promotion of nationalism bring people together
Encouraging them to accept a shared value system that revolved around employment + hard work
Main beneficiaries
The ruiling class, needed a motivated workforce to want to work hard under the guise that it was the country’s way of doing things
Functionalist views
Completely disagree with the Marxist interpretation of nationalism, claim it is a form of civil religion which unites nations together under a shared identity
Nationalism provides people with symbols which unify them
The national flag, or major days to celebrate their heritage such as patron saint days
When global events occur, such as sporting competitions, people are reminded that they are of part of a nation community, which helps to aid social cohesion
Education system
Nationalism ought to be encouraged via the education system so that people feel a sense of social solidarity with one another - helps society operate smoothly
Evaluation
Unlikely that many societies will have a majority of people who hold patriotic views of their state - with the expectation of totalism regime ( expect by law )
People are more critical due to social media
Many states are becoming less nationalistic - globalisation brings diversity + celebrates our differences
