This book seeks to explore one of the central issues of our epoch, the rise
of nations and the world-wide appeal of nationalism. The late twentieth
century has witnessed an unexpected resurgence of ethnic conflict, and
nationalism has once again become the central fact of contemporary
politics. Why is it that so many people remain so deeply attached to their
ethnic communities and nations at the close of the second millennium?
Why do the myths, memories, and symbols of the nation command such
widespread loyalty and devotion? And why are so many people still pre-
pared to make considerable sacrifices, even of life and limb, for their
nations and cultures?

As might be expected, these questions have been addressed in a variety
of ways and from very different standpoints. But most of the answers have
fallen into four main categories of explanation: the primordialist, the per-
ennialist, the modernist, and the ethno-symbolic. To date, these form the
major paradigms of explanation of the nature, power, and incidence of
nations and nationalism. The chapters in this book exemplify the last of
these paradigms, and seek to explore its many facets in a variety of thematic
contexts. But, since the main concerns and aims of 'ethno-symbolism'
emerged as a response to problems raised by the other major paradigms,
we must first outline the theoretical context in which they emerged. I shall
begin, therefore, with a brief statement of the main features and problems
of the primordialist, perennialist and modernist paradigms. ¹

Early explanations of nationalism tended to be greatly influenced by
organic varieties of nationalism. Nations were seen as the natural and
primordial divisions of humanity, and nationalism was thought to be

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