Nationalism, Ethnic Violence, & Terrorism

Nationalism

  • Definition: A large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language (New Oxford American Dictionary).

Ethnicity

  • Definition: An ethnic group is distinguished from others due to their national origin or cultural patterns.

Theoretical Perspectives

Primordialism

  • National and ethnic identities are seen as static; individuals are born into these identities.

Modernism

  • National and ethnic identities are viewed as socially constructed.
  • Nationalism is rooted in the processes of modernization.

Ernest Gellner (1925 – 1995)

  • Background: Social Anthropologist, renowned theorist on nationalism, linked to modernization theory.
    • Known for the idea that nationalism is a political principle advocating for alignment between political and national units.

Gellner's Theory of Nationalism

  • Main Points:
    • Nationalism emerges when there is a mismatch between political and national units.
    • The origins of nationalism are associated with the Industrial Revolution.
    • Education unifies societies and plays a pivotal role in the proliferation of nationalism.

Critiques of Gellner's Theory

  • Overlooks conflict and division inherent in education's role in nationalism.
  • Lacks analysis of identity, especially regarding ethnic identities before industrialization.
  • Insufficient focus on nations that lack a state.

Benedict Anderson (1936-2015)

  • Background: Political scientist and author of "Imagined Communities", a seminal work on nationalism.

Anderson's View of Nationalism

  • Argues that the nation is a social construct influenced by the distribution of print media and literacy during the industrial revolution.

Ethnic Conflict

  • Definition: Conflict occurring between multiple ethnic groups, analyzed through social, political, religious, economic, and individual lenses, often within the context of intra-state conflict.

Case Study: Kosovo

  • Contextualized within the Yugoslav Wars influenced by historical and political factors including imperialism and social identities.

Ethnic Violence (Rogers and Laitin, 1998)

  • Defined as violence across ethnic lines when at least one party is not a state actor.
  • Ethnic differences play a crucial role in the violence enactment.

Main Arguments

  • Ethnic and nationalist violence varies significantly in form (e.g., genocide vs. terrorism).
  • It's critical to distinguish between violent acts and broader conflicts.
  • Ethnic and nationalist violence often exhibits gendered dimensions.

Causes of Ethnic Violence

  • Rooted in state power weaknesses, lack of intervention, ethnic framing of violence, and inadequate mobilization efforts.

Terrorism

  • Definition: The use or threat of violence against random or symbolic targets to achieve political objectives.
  • Involves influencing audiences through deliberate violence.

Key Changes in Terrorism

  • The media increasingly shapes terrorism narratives post-September 11, 2001, prompting global anti-terrorism efforts.

Old Terrorism

  • Dominant throughout the 20th century, often associated with nationalism, primarily local in scope with limited means.

New Terrorism

  • Facilitated by advancements in communication technology, characterized by global spread and decentralized organizational structures with ruthless tactics.

Causes of Terrorism

  • Includes: weak states, rapid modernization, extreme ideologies, historical political violence, foreign occupation repression, ethnic discrimination, and charismatic leadership.

Categorical Terrorism

  • Defined as the strategic use of violence against civilians from specific collective identities without attention to individual roles.

Main Argument

  • The theory of categorical terrorism helps explain why certain groups choose to use violence against anonymous civilians sharing a collective identity, differentiating from others that do not engage in such violence.