Cultural nationalism is a term used by scholars of nationalism to describe efforts among the intelligentsia to promote the formation of national communities through emphasis on a common culture. It is contrasted with "political" nationalism, which refers to specific movements for national self-determination through the establishment of a nation-state.[1][2][3]

Definition

John Hutchinson's 1987 work The Dynamics of Cultural Nationalism argued against earlier scholarship that tended to conflate nationalism and state-seeking movements.[4] Hutchinson developed a typography distinguishing cultural from political nationalists, describing how the former act as moral innovators, emerging at times of crisis, to engender movements that offer new maps of identity based on historical myths that - in turn - may inspire programmes of socio-political regeneration from the latter. He emphasises the dynamic role of historians and artists, showing how they interact with religious reformists and a discontented modernising intelligentsia to form national identities.

In his later work, Hutchinson admits his earlier distinction may be too simplistic[5] and recognises:

It is often hard in practice to separate cultural and political nationalisms. Cultural nationalists often engage in political, even insurrectionary activities, and nationalists whose goal is for political independence may justify their claims by arguments that their nation has an ancient distinctive culture that is threatened by foreign rule.

— John Hutchinson, Cultural Nationalism, p.75

What distinguishes these cultural "revivals" from earlier ones is their political dynamism, arising from the "coming together of neo-classical and pre-romantic European intellectual currents".[6] These cultural nationalist movements aimed at cultural homogenisation and utilised the study of history as a resource for social innovation. Intellectuals aim to "present populations with new maps of identity and political prescriptions that claim to combine the virtues of historical tradition and modern progress at times of crisis".[7]

Examples

Moderate manifestations of Flemish[8] or Hindu[9] nationalisms might be "cultural nationalism", while these same movements also include forms of ethnic nationalism and national mysticism.

Membership in the nation is neither entirely voluntary (one cannot instantly acquire a culture), nor hereditary (children of members may be considered foreigners if they grew up in another culture).

Therefore, if a person is from a nation but their child grew up in another culture, then despite that person's nationality, their child is considered to be from the nationality of the culture they grew up in, and must learn their parent's culture in order to be a member of their parent's nationality (even though that parent's child is a citizen of their nation). Thus, cultural nationality is not achieved through citizenship as in civic nationalism.

References

  1. ↑ Hutchinson, John (2013). "Cultural Nationalism". In Breuilly, John (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of the History of Nationalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-19-876820-3. The demarcation between cultural and political nationalism is whether the primary concern is with the establishment of a strong community or a strong territorial state, as the basis of the nation
  2. ↑ Nielsen, Kai. (1999). Cultural nationalism, neither ethnic nor civic. In R. Beiner (Ed.), Theorizing nationalism (pp. 119-130). Albany: State University of New York Press.
  3. ↑ "History of Europe: Cultural nationalism". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2008-02-16. The counterpart of this political idea [i.e. the revolutionary doctrine of the sovereignty of the people] in the 19th century is cultural nationalism. The phrase denotes the belief that each nation in Europe had from its earliest formation developed a culture of its own, with features as unique as its language, even though its language and culture might have near relatives over the frontier.
  4. ↑ The dynamics of cultural nationalism: the Gaelic revival and the creation of the Irish nation, J Hutchinson – 1987 – Allen & Unwin Pty.
  5. ↑ Hutchinson, John (2013). "Cultural Nationalism". In Breuilly, John (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of the History of Nationalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-19-876820-3.
  6. ↑ Hutchinson, John (2013). "Cultural Nationalism". In Breuilly, John (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of the History of Nationalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-19-876820-3.
  7. ↑ Hutchinson, John (2013). "Cultural Nationalism". In Breuilly, John (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of the History of Nationalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 77, 86. ISBN 978-0-19-876820-3.
  8. ↑ Kymlicka, Will. (1999). Misunderstanding nationalism. In R. Beiner (Ed.), Theorizing nationalism (pp. 131-140). Albany: State University of New York Press, p. 133; Nielsen, Kai. (1999). Cultural nationalism, neither ethnic nor civic. In R. Beiner (Ed.), Theorizing nationalism (pp. 119-130). Albany: State University of New York Press, p. 126
  9. ↑ Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, one of the main votaries of Hindutva has stated that it believes in a cultural connotation of the term Hindu. "The term Hindu in the conviction as well as in the constitution of the RSS is a cultural and civilizational concept and not a political or religious dogma. The term as a cultural concept will include and did always include all Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Muslims, Christians, and Parsis. The cultural nationality of India, in the conviction of the RSS, is Hindu and it was inclusive of all who are born and who have adopted Bharat as their Motherland, including Muslims, Christians, and Parsis. The answering association submits that it is not just a matter of RSS conviction, but a fact borne out by history that the Muslims, Christians, and Parsis too are Hindus by culture although as religions they are not so."

Further reading

  • David Aberbach, 2008, Jewish Cultural Nationalism: Origins and Influences, ISBN 0-415-77348-2
  • Kosaku Yoshino, 1992, Cultural Nationalism in Contemporary Japan: A Sociological Enquiry, ISBN 0-415-07119-4
  • J. Ellen Gainor, 2001, Performing America: Cultural Nationalism in American Theater, ISBN 0-472-08792-4
  • G. Gordon Betts, 2002, The Twilight of Britain: Cultural Nationalism, Multiculturalism, and the Politics of Toleration, ISBN 0-7658-0731-9
  • Yingjie Guo, 2004, Cultural Nationalism in Contemporary China: The Search for National Identity under Reform, ISBN 0-415-32264-2
  • Mike Featherstone, 1990, Global Culture: Nationalism, Globalization and Modernity, ISBN 0-8039-8322-0
  • Starrs, Roy, 2004, Japanese Cultural Nationalism: At Home and in the Asia Pacific. London: Global Oriental. 2004. ISBN 1-901903-11-7.
  • Vincent Martigny, 2016, Dire la France. Culture(s) et identités nationales, ISBN 9-782-72461-9485
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