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Globalization and Nationalism
SOC 146b
Chandler Rosenberger
Department of Sociology
International and Global Studies Program
Office: 106 Mandel Humanities Center
Email: crosen@brandeis.edu
Office Hours: Tues. & Wed., 2-4 pm
This class, an exercise in comparative and historical sociology, will explore one of the
most intriguing paradoxes of world affairs today: why, after decades of globalization,
does nationalism seem to be on the rise worldwide? Students will study the social
characteristics thought to be typical of globalization – e.g. the decline of traditional
authority in favor of individual autonomy, the expansion of global economic ties, and the
homogenization of cultures – and will ask whether these traits indicate the decline of
national affiliations or, perhaps, their fulfillment. We believe we live in an age of “global
citizens.” But what if we live in an age of national citizens -- Chinese, Indian, Russian,
American, etc -- who just happen to be widely connected and globally dispersed?
The class will treat nationalism as a social identity with a genealogy that can be traced
across modern history. We will study the emergence of this identity in early modern
Europe and its impact on both European societies and the societies that Europeans
colonized. We will then trace the adoption and adaptation of this identity in non-Western
societies, starting with 19th century Japan and following up with its spread of nationalism
to China, India, and Korea. We will consider comparative cases of attempts to overcome
nationalism, from the self-consciously cosmopolitan centers such as Hong Kong to
construction of a common identity for the European Union. We will conclude with a
study of particularly robust contemporary nationalisms of China, Russia, India, and the
United States.
Learning Goals:
By the end of the class students should be able to:
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Draft accounts of the social foundations of nationalism and globalization and
consider the consequences of each for the world in which they will make their
careers;

Identify recurrent nationalist themes among discussions of globalization;

Appreciate different perspectives on globalization, especially among elites of
emerging powers;
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
Present contemporary issues of globalization in comparative and historical
perspective.
Evaluation:
Grades will be determined as follows:
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Take home midterm on social theories and history of nationalism and
globalization; 30 percent.
Group presentation on topic related to material from Weeks 7-13: 30 percent:
(Includes grade of responses to other student presentations, to be collected on
Latte).
Final research paper (10-15 pages): 30 percent.
Class participation: 10 percent.
Communications:
Students can write to me at crosen@brandeis.edu and should expect prompt replies to emails regarding administrative matters of the course, e.g. whether an extension might be
granted. Students should not plan to engage in long discussions of course material over
e-mail, but should instead save such questions for class or office hours.
I will communicate to the class as a whole via the messaging service on Latte. These
messages will be transmitted as e-mail.
Critical Dates:
Take home midterm on theory: distributed on Feb. 26th and due on March 1.
Class presentation: to be scheduled during the last eight weeks of class.
Final Paper: due Monday, May 2.
Four Credit Course
Success in this 4 credit course is based on the expectation that will spend, on average,
around 9 hours of study time per week in preparation for class (readings, discussion
sections, preparation for exams, etc.).
Documented Disabilities
If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and
wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me after
class.
Academic Integrity:
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You are expected to be honest in all of your academic work. Please consult Brandeis
University Rights and Responsibilities for all policies and procedures related to academic
integrity. Students may be required to submit work to TurnItIn.com software to verify
originality. Allegations of alleged academic dishonesty will be forwarded to the Director
of Academic Integrity. Sanctions for academic dishonesty can include failing grades
and/or suspension from the university. Citation and research assistance can be found at
LTS - Library guides.
Course Materials:
The course will have one required book:
David B. Abernethy, The Dynamics of Global Dominance: European Overseas Empires,
1415-1980 (Yale UP, 2002).
Other articles will be provided on Latte.
Part One: Introduction to Concepts
January 15: Introduction to class
Jan. 19 & 22: What is Nationalism?
Jan. 19:
Max Weber, “The Nation.” John Hutchinson and Anthony Smith, (eds).
Nationalism, (Oxford, 1994).
Benedict Anderson, "Imagined Communities."
Jan. 22:
Greenfeld, L. (2000). Etymology, definitions, types. In A. Motyl (Ed.),
Encyclopedia of nationalism: Fundamental themes. Oxford, United Kingdom:
Elsevier Science & Technology.
Articles by Ernest Gellner.
Jan. 26 & 29: Nationalism on a Global Scale
Jan. 26:
Anthony Smith, “The Origin of Nations.” in John Hutchinson and Anthony Smith,
(eds). Nationalism, (Oxford, 1994).
Walker Connor, "A Nation Is..." in John Hutchinson and Anthony Smith, (eds).
Nationalism, (Oxford, 1994).
Kedourie in Nationalism, (Oxford, 1994).
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Jan. 29:
Moisés Naím, “Globalization,” Foreign Policy No. 171 (March/April 2009), pp.
28-34.
Thomas Friedman, "The World Is Flat."
Liah Greenfeld, “The Globalization of Nationalism and the Future of the NationState,” International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society. Vol. 24, No. 1/2,
The End of the Nation-State (March/June 2011), pp. 5-9.
Feb. 2 & 5: What is Globalization?
Feb. 2: Economic Integration:
Immanuel Wallerstein, "Globalization or the Age of Transition? A Long-Term
View of the Trajectory of the World System."
Martin Wolf, "Will the Nation-State Survive Globalization?" Foreign Affairs,
Vol. 80, No. 1 (Jan. - Feb., 2001), pp. 178-190.
Joseph E. Stiglitz, "Fair Trade," The National Interest. No. 95 (May/June 2008),
pp. 19-24.
Feb. 5: Social and cultural transformation
Anthony Giddens, Runaway World. Selections.
Manuel Castells, "The New Public Sphere: Global Civil Society, Communication
Networks, and Global Governance." The Annals of the American Academy of
Political and Social Science . Vol. 616, Public Diplomacy in a Changing World
(Mar., 2008), pp. 78-93
Feb. 9 & 12: Globalization: Interpreting the History
Feb. 9: European beginnings
Abernethy, David B. The Dynamics of Global Dominance: European Overseas
Empires, 1415-1980 (Yale UP, 2002). Chapters 1-3.
Feb. 12: Britain and France
Jennifer Pitts, A Turn to Empire: The Rise of Imperial Liberalism in Britain and
France (Princeton UP, 2005). Ch. 6 & 7.
Walter Russell Mead, God and Gold: Britain, America, and the Making of the
Modern World (Vintage, 2007). Ch. 16-18.
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FEB. 15-19: BREAK
Feb. 23 & 26: The Nationalism of European Imperialisms and the First Rebuff
Feb. 23:
Abernethy, David B. The Dynamics of Global Dominance: European Overseas
Empires, 1415-1980 (Yale UP, 2002). Chapters 7 (pp. 133-172), 14 (pp. 325344) and 16 (pp. 363-386) (Latte)
Feb. 26:
Thomas Kwan-Choi Tse, "Civic Education and the Making of a Deformed
Citizenry: from British Colony to Chinese SAR," in Agnes Ku, (ed). Remaking
Citizenship in Hong Kong: Community, Nation and the Global City (Routledge,
2015).
Ian Nisch, “Nationalism in Japan,” in Michael Leifer, (ed). Asian Nationalism.
(Routledge, 2000). pp. 82-90.
Part Two: Topics in Globalization & Nationalism
March 1 & 4: Resisting the West: Nationalism and Decolonization
March 1:
Zu Guo-xia and Wei Wan-lei, "The Birth and Development of Chinese
Nationalism," in Liah Greenfeld (ed.), The Globalization of Nationalism (London:
ECPR Press, 2016). [forthcoming.]
Sun Yat-Sen, “Three Principles of the People,” (pp. 240-7) in Dahbour, Omar and
Ishay, Micheline R. The Nationalism Reader, (Humanity Books, 1995).
March 4:
Meghnad Desai, “Communalism, Secularism, and the Dilemma of Indian
Nationhood,” in Michael Leifer, (ed). Asian Nationalism. (Routledge, 2000).
Rabindranath Tagore. “The Message of India to Japan: A Lecture.” (MacMillan,
1916.)
Mohandas Gandhi, "Hind Swaraj." Selections.
March 8 & 11: Nationalism and Communism: How International was the Internationale?
March 8:
Karl Marx, The Commuinist Manifesto.
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Veljko Vujačić, "Historical Legacies, Nationalist Mobilization, and Political
Outcomes in Russia and Serbia: AWeberian View." Theory and Society, Vol. 25,
No. 6 (Dec., 1996), pp. 763-801.
March 11:
Chandler Rosenberger, "A Tale of Two Serbias," in Mestrovic, Stjepan. (ed.) The
Conceit of Innocence. (Texas: Texas A & M Press, 1997).
Perry Anderson, "Internationalism--Metamorphoses of a Meaning," Stanford S.
Elberg Lecture in International Studies, 2001.
March 15 & 18: Nationalism, Liberalism, Capitalism, and Americanization
March 15:
James David Hunter and Joshua Yates, "In the Vanguard of Globalization: The
World of American Globalizers," in Peter L. Berger and Samuel Huntington,
Many Globalizations: Cultural Diversity in the Contemporary World. (Oxford,
2003).
Andrew Bacevich, “Globalization and Its Conceits,’ in American Empire The
Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy. (Harvard UP, 2002).
March 18:
Joyce Appleby, The Relentless Revolution: A History of Capitalism. (W. W.
Norton & Company.) Selections.
Wolfgang Streeck," E Pluribus Unum? Varieties and Commonalities of
Capitalism," (MPIfG Discussion Paper 10 /12, 2010).
March 22: Overcoming Nationalism? Globalizing Religions as an Alternative to
Nationalism
José Casanova, "Religion, the New Millennium, and Globalization," Sociology of
Religion, Vol. 62, No. 4, (Winter, 2001), pp. 415-441
Olivier Roy, "Breakthroughs in Faith," World Policy Journal, Vol. 28, No. 4
(Winter 2011 / 2012), pp. 7-13
Jocelyne Cesari, "Political Islam: from Transnational movement to Nationalism
… and back." in Liah Greenfeld (ed.), The Globalization of Nationalism
(London: ECPR Press, 2016). [forthcoming.]
April 5 & 8: Overcoming Nationalism? The European Union
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April 5:
George W Ross. "The European Union." International and Comparative Politics.
Ed. Mark Kesselamn, Joel Krieger, William Joseph. Boston: Cengage, 2014.
Pawel Karolewski, "Identity technologies and the “nationalism lite” of the
European Union," in Liah Greenfeld (ed.), The Globalization of Nationalism
(London: ECPR Press, 2016). [forthcoming.]
April 8:
Alina Polyakova and Neil Fligstein, "Is European Integration Causing Europe to
Become More Nationalist? Evidence from the Recent Financial Crisis." Paper
presented to the American Sociological Association, New York City, August 912, 2013.
April 12 & 15: Overcoming Nationalism: Global Cities? Hong Kong, Shanghai, Dubai
April 12: Hong Kong and Shanghai
Tai-lok Lui and Stephen W. K. Chiu, "Becoming a Chinese Global City: Hong
Kong (and Shanghai) beyond the Global–Local Duality." in Xiangming Chen
(ed). Shanghai Rising: State Power and Local Transformations in a Global
Megacity. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2009. pp. 93-122
Yiu Chung Wong, "‘One Country, Two Systems’: Politics of Democratization
and Identities in Hong Kong since the Handover." in Liah Greenfeld (ed.), The
Globalization of Nationalism (London: ECPR Press, 2016). [forthcoming.]
April 15: Dubai
Robert Adam, "Globalization and Architecture," Architects’ Review, February
2008.
Nadia Mounajjed, "Dubai’s Mystified Promise of Globalisation,"
http://www.ibraaz.org/essays/61
Mike Davis, "Fear and Money in Dubai," New Left Review 41 Sept/Oct 2006.
April 19 & 21: The End of the End of the Cold War: Globalization in Competing
Nationalisms, cont.
April 19:
Agnes Ku, "Negotiating Law, Rights, and Civil Autonomy: from the Colonial to
the Post-Colonial Regime." Remaking Citizenship in Hong Kong: Community,
Nation and the Global City (Routledge, 2015). )
Brian Leung Kai-ping, Hong Kong Nationalism: published by Undergrad, the
University of Hong Kong Student Union magazine, 2015. Translated selections.
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April 21:
Weiwei Zhang, The China Wave: Rise of a Civilizational State, (World Century,
2012). Selections.
Deborah Welch Larson and Alexei Shevchenko, “Status Seekers: Chinese and
Russian Responses to U.S. Primacy,” International Security, Vol. 34, No. 4
(Spring 2010), pp. 63-95.
Economic nationalism and anxiety: 2015-6 speeches of Donald Trump.