Political Ideologies "Nationalism" Chapter 6

Volksgeist

(German) Literally, the spirit of the people; the organic identity of a people reflected in their culture and particularly in their language.

Racialism

A belief that racial divisions are politically significant, either because races should live apart or because they posses different qualities and are thus suited to different social roles.

Nation

A collection of people bound together by shared values and traditions, a common language, religion and history, and usually occupying the same geographical area.

Transnational Community

A community whose cultural identity, political allegiances and psychological orientations cute across or transcend national borders.

Xenophobia

A fear or hatred of foreigners; pathological ethnocentrism.

Civic Nationalism

A form of nationalism that emphasizes political allegiance based on a vision of a community of equal citizens, allowing respect for ethnic and cultural diversity that does not challenge core civic values.

Ethnic Nationalism

A form of nationalism that is fuelled primarily by a keen sense of ethnic distinctiveness and the desire to preserve it.

Cultural Nationalism

A form of nationalism that places primary emphasis on the regeneration of the nation as a distinctive civilization rather than on self-government.

Political Nationalism

A form of nationalism that regards the nation as a natural political community, usually expressed through the idea of national self-determination.

Jingoism

A mood of nationalist enthusiasm and public celebration provoked by military expansion or imperial conquest.

Ethnicity

A sentiment of loyalty towards a particular population, cultural group or territorial area; bonds that are cultural rather than racial.

Nation-State

A sovereign political association within which citizenship and nationality overlap; one nation within a single state.

Pan-nationalism

A style of nationalism that is dedicated to unifying a disparate people either through expansionism or political solidarity ('pan' means all or every).

Free Trade

A system of trading between states that is unrestricted by tariffs or other forms of protectionism.

Tribalism

Group behaviour characterized by insularity and exclusivity, typically fuelled by hostility towards rival groups.

Supranationalism

The ability of bodies with transnational or global jurisdictions to impose their will on nation-states.

Militarism

The achievement of ends by military means, or the extension of military ideas, values and practices to civilian society.

Culturalism

The belief that human beings are culturally-defined creatures, culture being the universal basis for personal and social identity.

Primordialism

The belief that nations are ancient and deep-rooted, fashioned variously out of psychology, culture and biology.

Imperialism

The extension of control by one country over another, whether by overt political means of through economic domination.

Thatcherism

The free-market/strong state ideological stance associated with Margaret Thatcher; the UK version of the new right political project.

General Will

The genuine interests of a collective body, equivalent to the common good; the will of all, provided each person acts selflessly.

Sovereignty

The principle of absolute or unrestricted power expressed either as unchallengeable legal authority or unquestionable political power.

Unification

The process through which a collection of separate political entities, usually sharing cultural characteristics, are integrated into a single state.

Independence

The process through which a nation is liberated from foreign rule, usually involving the establishment of sovereign statehood.

Separatism

The quest to secede from a larger political formation with a view to establishing an independent state.

Colonialism

The theory or practice of establishing control over a foreign territory, usually by settlement or economic domination.

Constructivism

The theory that meaning is imposed on the external world by the beliefs and assumptions we hold; reality is a social construct.

Ethical Nationalism

The theory that the rights of, and obligations towards, meme ears of one's own nation should enjoy moral priority over those related to members of other nations: a stance that implies moral relativism.

Chauvinism

Uncritical and unreasoned dedication to a cause or group, typically based on a belief in it's superiority, as in 'national chauvinism' or 'male chauvinism'.