Notes on Nationalism and Patriotism

RODOLFO V. CASTILLO JR., RCrim., LPT, Ph.D.

MODULE 2

Types of Nationalism

Nationalism is manifested as part of official state ideology or as a popular non-state

movement and may be expressed along ethnic, cultural, language, religious,
civic or ideological lines.

1. Ethnic nationalism

Ethnic nationalism defines the nation in terms of ethnicity, which always includes some
element of descent from previous generations. It also includes ideas of a culture shared
between members of the group and with their ancestors, and usually a shared
language.

Membership in the nation is hereditary. The state derives political legitimacy from its
status as homeland of the ethnic group, and from its duty to protect of the partly national
group and facilitate its family and social life, as a group.

1.1 Expansionist nationalism

Expansionist nationalism is an aggressive radical form of nationalism or ethnic

nationalism (ethnonationalism) that incorporates autonomous, heightened ethnic
consciousness and patriotic sentiments with atavistic fears and hatreds focused on
"other" or foreign peoples, framing a belief in expansion or recovery of formerly owned
territories through militaristic means.

1.2 Romantic nationalism

Romantic nationalism, also known as organic nationalism and identity nationalism, is

the form of ethnic nationalism in which the state derives political legitimacy as a natural
consequence and expression of the nation, race, or ethnicity.

It reflected the ideals of Romanticism and was opposed to Enlightenment rationalism.

Romantic nationalism emphasized a historical ethnic culture which meets the Romantic
Ideal; folklore developed as a Romantic nationalist concept.

2. Cultural nationalism

Cultural nationalism defines the nation by shared culture. Membership (the state of
being members) in the nation is neither entirely voluntary (you cannot instantly acquire a
culture), nor hereditary (children of members may be considered foreigners if they grew
up in another culture). Yet, a traditional culture can be more easily incorporated into an
individual's life, especially if the individual is allowed to acquire its skills at an early stage
of his/her own life. Cultural nationalism has been described as a variety of nationalism
that is neither purely civic nor ethnic.

3. Language nationalism

Specific language of the majority of the population as the official language of the
government.

4. Religious nationalism

Religious nationalism is the relationship of nationalism to a

particular religious belief, church, or affiliation. This relationship can be broken down
into two aspects; the politicization of religion and the converse influence of religion on
politics. In the former aspect, a shared religion can be seen to contribute to a sense of
Notes on Nationalism and Patriotism
RODOLFO V. CASTILLO JR., RCrim., LPT, Ph.D.

national unity, a common bond among the citizens of the nation. Another political aspect
of religion is the support of a national identity, similar to a shared ethnicity, language or
culture. The influence of religion on politics is more ideological, where current
interpretations of religious ideas inspire political activism and action.

5. Post-colonial nationalism

Since the process of decolonization that occurred after World War II, there has been a
rise of Third World nationalisms.

Third world nationalisms occur in those nations that have been colonized and exploited.
The nationalisms of these nations were forged in a furnace that required resistance to
colonial domination in order to survive. As such, resistance is part and parcel of such
nationalisms and their very existence is a form of resistance to imperialist intrusions.
Third World nationalism attempts to ensure that the identities of Third World peoples are
authored primarily by themselves, not colonial powers.

6. Civic Nationalism

Civic nationalism is the form of nationalism in which the state derives political
legitimacy from the active participation of its citizenry, from the degree to which it
represents the "will of the people".

Civic nationalism lies within the traditions of rationalism and liberalism, but as a form of
nationalism it is contrasted with ethnic nationalism. Membership of the civic nation is
considered voluntary.

State nationalism is a variant of civic nationalism, often (but not always) combined
with ethnic nationalism. It implies that the nation is a community of those who contribute
to the maintenance and strength of the state, and that the individual exists to contribute
to this goal.

However, the term "state nationalism" is often used in conflicts between nationalisms,
and especially where a secessionist movement confronts an established "nation state".
The secessionists speak of state nationalism to discredit the legitimacy of the larger
state, since state nationalism is perceived as less authentic and less democratic.

7. Liberal nationalism

Liberal nationalism is a kind of nationalism defended recently by political philosophers

who believe that there can be a non-xenophobic form of nationalism compatible with
liberal values of freedom, tolerance, equality, and individual rights.

Liberal nationalists often defend the value of national identity by saying that individuals
need a national identity in order to lead meaningful, autonomous lives and that liberal
democratic polities need national identity in order to function properly.

8. Ideological Nationalism

8.1 Revolutionary nationalism

Revolutionary nationalism is a broad label that has been applied to many different types
of nationalist political movements that wish to achieve their goals through
a revolution against the established order.

8.2 National conservatism

National conservatism is a variant of conservatism that concentrates on

upholding national and cultural identity, usually combining this nationalist concern with
conservative stances promoting traditional values.
Notes on Nationalism and Patriotism
RODOLFO V. CASTILLO JR., RCrim., LPT, Ph.D.

It shares characteristics with traditionalist conservatism and social conservatism given

how the three variations focus on preservation and tradition. As national conservatism
seeks to preserve national interests, traditional conservatism emphasizes ancestral
institutions. Additionally, social conservatism emphasizes a patriarchal, restrictive
attitude regarding moral behavior to preserve one's traditional status in society.
National-conservative parties often have roots in environments with a rural, traditionalist
or peripheral basis, contrasting with the more urban support base of liberal-
conservative parties.

8.3 Liberation nationalism

Many nationalist movements in the world are dedicated to national liberation in the view
that their nations are being persecuted by other nations and thus need to exercise self-
determination by liberating themselves from the accused persecutors.

8.4 Left-wing nationalism

Left-wing nationalism, known as socialist nationalism, refers to any political movement

that combines left-wing politics or socialism with nationalism.

8.5 Schools of anarchism which acknowledge nationalism

Anarchists who see value in nationalism typically argue that a nation is first and
foremost a people; that the state is parasite upon the nation and should not be confused
with it; and that since in reality states rarely coincide with national entities, the ideal of
the nation state is actually little more than a myth.

Anarchists argue that the achievement of meaningful self-determination for all of the
world's nations requires an anarchist political system based on local control, free
federation, and mutual aid.

8.6 Pan-nationalism

Pan-nationalism is usually an ethnic and cultural nationalism, but the 'nation' is itself a
cluster of related ethnic groups and cultures. Occasionally pan-nationalism is applied
to mono-ethnic nationalism, when the national group is dispersed over a wide area and
several states.

8.7 Diaspora nationalism

Diaspora nationalism, or "long-distance nationalism", generally refers to nationalist

feeling among a diaspora such as the Irish in the United States, Jews around the world
after the expulsion from Jerusalem (586 BCE), the Lebanese in the Americas and
Africa, or Armenians in Europe and the United States.

This sort of nationalism acts as a "phantom bedrock" for people who want to experience
a national connection, but who do not actually want to leave their diaspora community.
The essential difference between pan-nationalism and diaspora nationalism is that
members of a diaspora, by definition, are no longer resident in their national or ethnic
homeland. Traditionally 'Diaspora' refers to a dispersal of a people from a (real or
imagined) 'homeland' due to a cataclysmic disruption, such as war, famine, etc.

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