Nationalism has long been a normatively and empirically contested concept, associated with democratic revolutions and public goods provision, but also with xenophobia, genocide, and wars. Moving beyond facile distinctions between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ nationalisms, Harris Mylonas and Maya Tudor argue that nationalism is an empirically variegated ideology. Much like the proverbial blind men who each hold a different part of an elephant, nationalism scholars have a similar experience. Definitional disagreements, Eurocentric conceptualizations, and linear associations between ethnicity and nationalism have hampered our ability to synthesize insights. In this book, we propose that nationalism can be broken down productively into parts based on three key questions: 1. Does a nation exist? 2. How do national narratives vary? 3. When do national narratives matter? The answers to these questions generate five dimensions along which nationalism varies: elite fragmentation and popular fragmentation of national communities; ascriptiveness and thickness of national narratives; and salience of national identities.
Harris Mylonas and Maya Tudor. 2023. Varieties of Nationalism: Communities, Narratives, Identities, Cambridge University Press.
Part of the Elements Series on the Politics of Development co-edited by Rachel Beatty Riedl and Ben Ross Schneider.
Reviews & endorsements
‘No political development in the 21st century is more momentous than the resurgence of fierce nationalisms in many parts of the world. They pose great dangers of bigoted authoritarianism, while providing compelling sources of identity and community for billions of people. Written by two highly accomplished authors, Varieties of Nationalism is the most concise, accessible, yet deeply informed and insightful guide to the origins, elements, and significance of the main forms of nationalism that we have today.’
–Rogers M. Smith, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania
‘These days no one needs convincing that nationalism should be at the center of our political and theoretical reflections: bitter rivals, enthusiastic supporters, agnostics, all wish to unveil the secrets of nationalism in order to understand the sources of its continuous power. With systematic clarity and a handful of experience Harris Mylonas and Maya Tudor help readers navigate the varied terrains of nationalism, explore its many hidden roads, and appreciate the richness of its landscape. This will probably become the best guide for travelers in the age of nationalism. Don’t leave home without it.’
–Yuli Tamir, President of Beit Berl College, author of Why Nationalism
‘The scholarship on nationalism is now vast, spanning many different disciplines and very diverse approaches. In this cacophony of knowledge, it is often difficult to maintain meaningful communication across the disciplines. In this excellent and concise book Mylonas and Tudor bring order to the nationalism studies. They very successfully synthesize the existing scholarship, develop many new insights, and convincingly show that nationalism is a highly varied and variable ideology and political practice.’
–Siniša Malešević, University College, Dublin and CNAM, Paris
‘If the recent resurgence of nationalism in world politics has taught us anything, it is that nationalisms are ever evolving. Who tells a nation’s story and the boundaries of narrative license that social conditions grant matter powerfully to how nationalisms ultimately manifest. Mylonas and Tudor expertly contribute to this narrative turn, defying the usual dualisms and stereotypes that typically dominate discussions of nationalism. A must read for anyone interested in the future direction of nationalism studies.’
–Aram Hur, The Fletcher School, Tufts University, Author of Narratives of Civic Duty: How National Stories Shape Democracy in Asia
‘This short, concisely written book usefully draws our attention away from ontological questions (what is a nation) and moral concerns (how we can distinguish good from bad nationalisms) and towards basic empirical variation in the form and function of nationalism: Sometimes people don’t agree on who is part of the nation or what this could mean; sometimes they do. Sometimes nationhood doesn’t matter much for everyday live or politics, sometimes it’s all what these are about. The book helps to prepare the ground for future empirical work by asking important comparative, analytical questions.’
–Andreas Wimmer, Columbia University
‘By offering a cogent and up-to-date review of the nationalism literature, Varieties of Nationalism fills a gaping hole. The book offers a sophisticated discussion of conceptualization that is used as a launchpad for a well-structured survey of scholarship answering three central research questions, as suggested by the book’s subtitle. This is an absolute must in every nationalism scholar’s library!’
–Lars-Erik Cederman, ETH Zürich
Harris Mylonas 