Bespoke Nationalism
How complexity permits ethnic nationalists and multiculturalists to rub along together
Eric Kaufmann, Birkbeck College, University of [email protected]
Complexity
Complexity Theory
• Order from chaos• Higher level coordination emerges from uncoordinated lower-level actions
• Feedback loops• Small changes big effects and vice-versa, i.e. tipping points
• System adapts to new environments• Multiple equilibria• Examples: market, forest, city
Al Qaeda • Coordinated from Afghanistan or uncoordinated cells inspired by the brand?
• As Self-organizing network (Bousquet 2009)
• Feedback loop from symbolic attacks which inspire others
• Different interpretations • Adapts to local circumstance and information
• Hard to defeat• Gangs and crime syndicates similar (Klein and Maxson 2006; Williams 2001)
Complexity and Nationalism
Order from chaos/Higher level coordination emerges from uncoordinated lower-level actions
• State makes the nation from top down and centre out?
• Production only? Or do consumers shape the product• Gradual diffusion or sudden shifts?• At best, Hroch’s A-B-C trajectory plus some sense of Smith’s ‘popular resonance’
What about market, associations, families?
• ‘Everyday nationalism’ (Deloye)• ‘banal nationalism’ (Billig) • popular nationalism (Sidel on Philippines; Kammen/O’Leary on USA)
• Role of locale: ‘Heimat’ version of nation (Confino, Applegate, Zimmer)
What of the birds themselves?
• Lenses of nationhood (Kaufmann 2008; Zimmer 2003; Hutchinson 2005)
Other Aspects of CAS
• Feedbacks: State to public/market/associations, and back. Not a structure, a growth
• Network effects: some innovations pertaining to national identity can spread ‘virally’ from below, but with isolated pockets
• Response to environment, adaptation: individuals and groups, not just state. Local versions of the nation
Tipping Points in Nationalism
Role of rumour and spontaneity in nationalist violence
Political Theory of Nationalism
• Multiculturalism (Kymlicka, Taylor, Modood)• Individualism (Rawls, Nozick)• Liberal Nationalism (Tamir, Miller)
Localism
• Idea of localism seen as an answer to the problems of complexity
• Notion of market / ‘wisdom of crowds’• Resource Mobilisation Theory: parties or social movements which are branch/constituency-based more adaptable
• Federalism, devolution, subsidiarity in policy
Multiculturalism as National Identity
• MC has symbolic, political, economic implications
• MC in Europe – few political group rights, economic quotas
• Mainly a symbolic issue
Constructive Ambiguity
• Agreement wording is ambiguous
• Sold differently to each side
• Leaders allow each side to believe the deal favours them
Bespoke Nationalism
• Current vogue for integrationist civic nationalism alienates multiculturalists, individualists, ethno-nationalists
• Can we placate all?• Tailor-made nationalism• Wide range of lenses on the nation tolerated and validated
• Ambiguity from leaders
Top Related