PSC 321 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Arab World, Arab Nationalism, Primordialism
18 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Nationalism and Identity Politics
The Middle East and North Africa in the 1920s-1960s
● New political map
● New states are created with diverse groups within them
● Contradictory necessities?
○ Anti-colonial movements (creating state specific nationalism)
○ Once states gained independence
■ Maintaining sovereignty
■ Fostering national identities
○ New rulers wanted to use broader Arab credentials to boost their legitimacy
Competing Allegiances
● Subnational (sect; region; tribe)
● National (Egyptian; Syrian; Iraqi; etc.)
● Supra-national (Arab identity; Islam)
Identity Categories
● Religion
● Language
● City of origin or residence
● Lineage
● Sect
● Race
● Class / socio-economic status
● Home team
Who is “Included”?
● “Us” and “them” central to creation of political identities
● Who’s included? (in the nation, the group, the team, etc.)
● Who’s excluded (from the nation, the group, the team, etc.)
Sources of Identity
● If a single person can have multiple identities, then:
○ Under what conditions do specific identities become politicized (i.e. the basis for
political behavior)?
Approaches to the Study of Identity and Nationalism
● Primordial
○ Identities are ascribed; fixed; and predetermined
○ Nations are old; based on biological, cultural, or linguistic bonds
● Constructivist
○ Identities are not fixed; can change over time
○ Nations are constructed
● Instrumentalist
○ Emphasizes personal advantage gained from affiliation with a particular identity
○ Elites can manipulate identities
Nation
● Collectivity that:
Document Summary
The middle east and north africa in the 1920s-1960s. New states are created with diverse groups within them. New rulers wanted to use broader arab credentials to boost their legitimacy. Us and them central to creation of political identities. Who"s included? (in the nation, the group, the team, etc. ) Who"s excluded (from the nation, the group, the team, etc. ) If a single person can have multiple identities, then: Approaches to the study of identity and nationalism. Nations are old; based on biological, cultural, or linguistic bonds. Identities are not fixed; can change over time. Emphasizes personal advantage gained from affiliation with a particular identity. Believes in its right to territorial self-determination. Nationalism is a principle which holds that the political and national unit should be congruent . Nationhood is defined by language, religion, customs and traditions. The arab nation is authentic, organic; predetermined. Shared history, predating the advent of islam. Obstacles to the idea of a coherent arab nation .
