Explaining Monoculturalism: Beyond Gellner's Theory of Nationalism
Title: Explaining Monoculturalism: Beyond Gellner's Theory of Nationalism
Author: TAMBINI, Damian Angelo
Citation: Critical Review, 1996, 10, 2, 251-270
For Ernest Gellner, nationalism occurs in the modern period because industrial societies, unlike agrarian ones, need homogeneous languages and cultures in order to work efficiently. Thus, states and intellectuals mobilize campaigns of assimilation through public education and the culture industries. Gellner's theory however, fails to explain all forms of nationalism, is overly materialist, and at times relies on dubious functionalist explanations. A more satisfactory theory would take into account the cultural content of nationalism-not only myths, but political culture-as well as phenomena of identity and collective action.
Files in this item
There are no files associated with this item.