Module Content and Indicative Topics

What does it mean to be European at the cusp of the third decade of the twenty-first century? Why have issues of nationality, ethnicity and race become so central to Europeans during the last few years? What is the historical and cultural background to developments such as the fracturing of former multi-national states, the worrying rise of populists and the far right in politics, the development and possible decline of a supra-national European Union, and the public debate on asylum and immigration? This module will examine recent debates about the nation-state, national identity, ethnicity, immigration and the idea of Europe from the end of the Cold War to the present day.



Teaching Delivery

By the end of this module you will be able to:

Define the key concepts used in this debate, e.g. nation, nationalism, state, ethnicity, etc.; and describe the contested nature of these terms.
 Summarize some of the most important contributions to the recent debates on nationalism and nation-building,and indicate how they differ;
 Compare the process of nation-building and the meanings of nationalism in the context of different European countries;
 Compare debates about immigration, citizenship and national identity in contemporary Europe (and beyond);
 Define the key concepts used in this debate, e.g. nation, nationalism, state, ethnicity, etc.; and describe the contested nature of these terms;
 Summarize some of the most important contributions to the recent debates on nationalism and nation-building.
Recommended Reading

Primary Texts

There is a vast scholarly literature on the themes covered by this module. The module readings will be made available online and introduce you to the most important contributions on nationalism theory and individual case studies. Many texts are also contained in The Ethnicity Reader, edited by Monteserrat Guibernau and John Rex, 2nd ed., Cambridge: Polity, 2010, and/or the Oxford Reader on Ethnicity, ed. by John Hutchinson and Anthony D. Smith, Oxford: 1996. If you prefer to read in print, it might be worth getting one or both books from the library (or a book store). Several copies of both are held by UCL Library as well as by Senate House Library, to which as UCL students you have access (check their website about how to get a reader’s pass). We will also make use of high-quality online resources like podcasts, web databases, and discussion forums. A comprehensive reading list for preparing your essays will be posted on Moodle.

Initial Secondary Bibliography

Steven Grosby, Nationalism: A very short introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005).
 Adrian Guelke (ed.), The challenges of ethno-nationalism : case studies in identity politics (Basingstoke: Houndmills / New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010).
 Marion Demossie (ed.), The European puzzle : the political structuring of cultural identities at a time of transition (New York: Berghahn 2007).
 Fiorella Dell’Olio, The Europeanization of citizenship : between the ideology of nationality, immigration and European identity (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2005).
 Anthony D. Smith, Nationalism: Theory, ideology, history (Cambridge: Polity Press 2001).
 Richard A. Sauers, Jennifer L. Weber, Nationalism, New York: Random House, 2010.
 Umut Özkirimli (ed.), Theories of nationalism: a critical introduction, 2nd ed. (Basingstoke: Palgrave-Macmillan, 2010).
 Thomas Hylland Eriksen, Ethnicity and Nationalism, London (Pluto Press, 2002).
 Malcolm Anderson, States and Nationalism in Europe since 1945 (London: Routledge 2000). For an interactive reading list please see this module’s Reading List@UCL Library
Please note: This module description is accurate at the time of publication. Amendments may be made prior to the start of the academic year.