121-457 Ethnic Nationalism and the Modern World

Formerly available as 121-057 Ethnic Nationalism and the Modern World. Students who have completed 121-057 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

25 points of second/third-year in Anthropology and/or Development studies

Ethnicity and nationalism are of special concern to anthropologists, especially in instances where anthropology becomes part of nationalist discourse. This subject considers ethnicity and nationalism through the in-depth analysis of a case study from the developing world, but draws on comparative material from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Pacific. Students will examine different theoretical approaches to ethnicity, nationalism and ethnic nationalism in particular; the relationships between the formation of nation states and processes of 'development', 'transition' and 'underdevelopment'; the roles of actors, from political actors to ordinary people, in the construction of national projects; the relationships between historic and contemporary processes in the construction of national projects; how national projects are constructed, enforced and culturally maintained; the relationships between globalization, migration, transnationalism and ethnic nationalism in the modern world.

• critical thinking and analysis;

• thinking in theoretical terms;

• communicating knowledge intelligibly and economically;

• understanding of social, cultural, political and economic context.

For 3rd year: written work totalling 4000 words comprising of an essay of 2000 words 50% (due mid-semester), an essay of 2000 words 50% (due at the end of semester). For 4th year: written work totalling 5000 words comprising an essay of 2000 words 40% (due mid-semester) and an essay of 3000 words 60% (due at the end of semester).

• T H Eriksen, Ethnicity and Nationalism: Anthropological Perspective. Pluto Press 1993.