Credits: 15 Semester: 2
Module Convenor: Dr Brendan O'Duffy
Description: The aim of this module is to study the impact of nationalism and ethnicity in international relations by combining a theoretical approach with the study of a range of cases to be developed. The course considers the concepts of nation and nationalism in classical social theory by examining the work of Marx, Durkheim and Weber. It then moves on to study a range of theories of nationalism formulated in the twentieth century including a particular focus on the work of Benedict Anderson, Ernest Gellner, and Anthony Smith. The course proceeds by examining the role of ethnicity in the development of fascist and nazi regimes across Europe; a topic which is employed as springboard for the study of migration and the rise of the radical right across today’s Europe. The course concludes by exploring whether nationalism and cosmopolitanism can ever be compatible.
Assessment: Item 1: 50% Essay (2000 words) Item 2: 50% Examination (2 hours) Level: 6