John Hutchinson – författare

Nationalism is one of the most powerful forces in the modern world, yet its study has only recently gained popularity. This reader gives historical depth to the recent debates on nationalism and traces the development of thought on nationalism across a wide range of issues with reference to texts spanning from Ernest Renan's What is a Nation? in the 1880s to current views given in the 1990s.Issues covered include the definitions of the nation and of nationalism, theories of nationalism, the origins of nations, nationalism in Europe, the Third World and within the International System, and the future of nationalism itself.

Although the term `ethnicity' is recent, the sense of kinship, group solidarity, and common culture to which it refers is as old as the historical record. Ethnic communities have been present in every period and continent, and have played an important role in all societies. The sense of a common ethnicity remains a major focus of identification by individuals. Ethnic community and identity are often associated with conflict, particularly with political struggles in various parts of the world. However, there is no essential connection between ethnicity and conflict, and relations may in fact be peaceful and cooperative.This Oxford Reader includes extracts by all the major contributors to debates on ethnicity, including Weber, Brass, Hechter, and Horowitz. The articles offer explanations for the contentious nature of ethnicity, its worldwide effects, and the possible means for overcoming conflicts.

This interdisciplinary book is the first systematic study of the relationship between nationalism and war and, as such, makes an original contribution to theories of nationalism and state formation. It offers a dynamic and interactive framework by which to understand the role of warfare in its changing manifestations in the rise of nation-states, the formation of national communities, definitions of political rights and duties, and the transformation from a world of empires to one of nation states. Nationalism and War scrutinizes existing approaches that view both nations and nationalism as recent products of martial state-building that began with the military revolutions in Europe, and argues that nationalism and national communities emerged independently in the Middle Ages to shape both war-making and state-building. This book also explores the connection between war commemoration and the creation of nations as sacralized communities that offer meaning and purpose to a world marked by unpredictable change. It shows how nationalist military revolutions led to the downfall of Empires in total war and the mass production of postcolonial nation states. But problems of security have also inspired recurring patterns of re-imperialization. This book refutes claims that we are now in a global and post-national era where traumatic accounts have replaced the heroic narratives that once sustained nation-states. Finally, it appraises approaches that claim there is an inherent connection between nationalism and collective violence, arguing such connections are largely contingent.

A character in an Evelyn Waugh novel once remarked that ?There's nothing wrong with war?except the fighting.? In Champions of Charity, John Hutchinson argues that while they set out with a vision to make war more humane, the world's Red Cross organizations soon became enthusiastic promoters of militarism and sacrifice in time of war.The mass armies of the nineteenth century were stalked by disease and slaughtered by ever more destructive weaponry, arousing the indignation and humanitarian concern of self-appointed battlefield Samaritans, who envisioned a neutral corps of volunteer nurses who would aid and comfort wounded soldiers, regardless of nationality. But the champions of charity soon became champions of war.Florence Nightingale was among the few at the time to recognize the dangers lurking in the Red Cross vision. She refused to join, and warned its founders that the governments of the world would cooperate with the Red Cross because ?it would render war more easy.? She was right; starting in the late 19th century armies simply used the Red Cross to efficiently recycle wounded men back into the frontlines.In World War I, national Red Cross societies became enthusiastic wartime propagandists. This was true in every combatant nation, and it is a transformation well portrayed by the fascinating selection of art in this book. Soon Red Cross personnel were even sporting military-style uniforms, and in the United States, the Red Cross became so identified with the war effort that an American citizen was convicted of treason for criticising the Red Cross in time of war!The Red Cross played an especially important role in encouraging the mass involvement of women in the ?home front? for the first time. It did this through magazines, postcards, posters, bandage-rolling parties, and speeches that blended romantic images of humanitarianism and war into a unique brand of maternal militarism. A true pioneer in mass propaganda, the Red Cross taught millions that preparation for war was not just a patriotic duty, but a normal and desirable social activity.The Red Cross societies had proven their usefulness in mobilizing civilians in wartime, and most of their functions were taken over by government agencies by the time of World War II. Gradually the Red Cross became better known for its work in public health, disaster relief, and lifesaving classes. But the legacy of a darker past still lingers: the red cross on a white background found on army ambulances, or the unsubtle subtext of sacrifice and heroism in Red Cross television advertising.It is a legacy the Red Cross itself has preferred not to acknowledge in its own self-congratulatory literature. For not only was the humanitarian impulse that inspired the creation of the Red Cross easily distorted, but this urge to militarize came from within its own ranks. This startling and provocative history of the Red Cross reminds us of the hidden dangers that sometimes come cloaked in the best of intentions.

Nations and nationalism are central phenomena of the modern world, feeding into every aspect of personal and social life - the family, economy, culture, politics and international relations. This multi-volume collection of articles and chapters is the most comprehensive guide yet published on the subject of nationalism. It brings together in a compact format the major texts, many of which are scattered in specialist and inaccessible journals. Beginning with classic texts of Max Weber and concluding with contributions by postmodernists, this set aims to provide students and scholars with an overview of the most important debates and lines of enquiry.A general introduction outlines the main theoretical approaches and section introductions comment on the specific selections. There is also an extensive new index.

There has long been a debate about implications of globalization for the survival of the world of sovereign nation-states, and the role of nationalism as both an agent of and a response to globalization. In contrast, until recently there has been much less debate about the fate of religion. ‘Globalization’ has been viewed as part of the rationalization process, which has already relegated religion to the dustbin of history, just as it threatens the nation, as the world moves toward a cosmopolitan ethics and politics. The chapters in this book, however, make the case for the salience and resilience of religion, often in conjunction with nationalism, in the contemporary world in several ways.This book highlights the diverse ways in which religions first and foremost make use of the traditional power and communication channels available to them, like strategies of conversion, the preservation of traditional value systems, and the intertwining of religious and political power. Nevertheless, challenged by a more culturally and religiously diversified societies and by the growth of new religious sects, contemporary religions are also forced to let go of these well known strategies of preservation and formulate new ways of establishing their position in local contexts. This collection of essays by established and emerging scholars brings together theory-driven and empirically-based research and case-studies about the global and bottom-up strategies of religions and religious traditions in Europe and beyond to rethink their positions in their local communities and in the world.

This book offers the most up-to-date survey of current perspectives and debates in the fields of nations and nationalism. It brings together a selected group of leading scholars in each of the sub-fields who offer a comprehensive and challenging approach to the study of nationalism. The authors represent a variety of outlooks which include history, sociology, politics, gender studies and ethnography while providing a wide coverage in historical and geographical terms.Understanding Nationalism commemorates the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Association for the Study of Ethnicity and Nationalism and in so doing it undoubtedly marks the coming of age of nationalism as a subject for scholarly production and debate. All the authors have written pioneering studies on ethnicity and nationalism: Walker Connor and Steven Grosby on the primordial attachments of nationalists, John Armstrong and Anthony Smith on the historical and symbolic roots of nations, John Hutchinson and Kosaku Yoshino on cultural nationalism, John Breuilly on the relationship between state and nationalism, Crawford Young on the relationship between nation-states and cultural pluralism, Michael Mann on nationalism and politics, Nira Yuval-Davis on gender and nation and Montserrat Guibernau on contemporary nationalisms. This volume will be indispensable for anyone interested in the phenomenon of nationalism today and will be widely recommended on courses in politics, sociology and related disciplines.

`In this excellent and thought-provoking book. Hutchinson has taken the debate about nations and nationalism a significant step forward. His view of nations as zones of conflict is a useful and appropriate way of approaching this subject, making an important contribution to the field - one that may come to shape the literature' - Paul Hopper, School of Historical and Critical Studies, University of Brighton

What is the relationship between nations and conflict? Is globalization really eroding national sovereignty and cultural unity? This novel and compelling book explores such questions, arguing that it is wrong to assume that nations are culturally uniform. Hutchinson asserts that resting on older diverse ethnic identities, nations adapt from the unpredictable challenges of modernity, and such plurality makes them prone to cultural wars. He redefines nation-state formation as an outcome of unending and reversible processes, stating that even when nationalists win control, the nation state is never hegemonic since it is only one of many actors in the modern world.

A character in an Evelyn Waugh novel once remarked that There's nothing wrong with war,except the fighting." In Champions of Charity, John Hutchinson argues that while they set out with a vision to make war more humane, the world's Red Cross organizations soon became enthusiastic promoters of militarism and sacrifice in time of war.The mass armies of the nineteenth century were stalked by disease and slaughtered by ever more destructive weaponry, arousing the indignation and humanitarian concern of self-appointed battlefield Samaritans, who envisioned a neutral corps of volunteer nurses who would aid and comfort wounded soldiers, regardless of nationality. But the champions of charity soon became champions of war.Florence Nightingale was among the few at the time to recognize the dangers lurking in the Red Cross vision. She refused to join, and warned its founders that the governments of the world would cooperate with the Red Cross because it would render war more easy." She was right starting in the late 19th century armies simply used the Red Cross to efficiently recycle wounded men back into the frontlines.In World War I, national Red Cross societies became enthusiastic wartime propagandists. This was true in every combatant nation, and it is a transformation well portrayed by the fascinating selection of art in this book. Soon Red Cross personnel were even sporting military-style uniforms, and in the United States, the Red Cross became so identified with the war effort that an American citizen was convicted of treason for criticising the Red Cross in time of war!The Red Cross played an especially important role in encouraging the mass involvement of women in the home front" for the first time. It did this through magazines, postcards, posters, bandage-rolling parties, and speeches that blended romantic images of humanitarianism and war into a unique brand of maternal militarism. A true pioneer in mass propaganda, the Red Cross taught millions that preparation for war was not just a patriotic duty, but a normal and desirable social activity.The Red Cross societies had proven their usefulness in mobilizing civilians in wartime, and most of their functions were taken over by government agencies by the time of World War II. Gradually the Red Cross became better known for its work in public health, disaster relief, and lifesaving classes. But the legacy of a darker past still lingers: the red cross on a white background found on army ambulances, or the unsubtle subtext of sacrifice and heroism in Red Cross television advertising.It is a legacy the Red Cross itself has preferred not to acknowledge in its own self-congratulatory literature. For not only was the humanitarian impulse that inspired the creation of the Red Cross easily distorted, but this urge to militarize came from within its own ranks. This startling and provocative history of the Red Cross reminds us of the hidden dangers that sometimes come cloaked in the best of intentions.

First published in 1987, The Dynamics of Cultural Nationalism demonstrates the nature and role of cultural nationalism as a separate movement in the creation of modern nations. This is done through an intensive study of the modern Irish movements, and in particular the Gaelic revival at the end of the nineteenth century, which makes clear the importance of cultural nationalism as a vision and politics in its own right. The author, by approaching his material as both historian and sociologist, is able to illuminate the Irish case of nationalism by placing it in a broad, comparative perspective, showing how cultural nationalism has often provided those answers to the problems of nation building and the rediscovery of national identity that political nationalism failed to provide. This book will be of interest to all those in the social sciences and history who are concerned with problems of national identity, the uses of history and culture in the creation of modern nations, and the particular case of the development of nationalist movements in Ireland.

First published in 1987, The Dynamics of Cultural Nationalism demonstrates the nature and role of cultural nationalism as a separate movement in the creation of modern nations. This is done through an intensive study of the modern Irish movements, and in particular the Gaelic revival at the end of the nineteenth century, which makes clear the importance of cultural nationalism as a vision and politics in its own right. The author, by approaching his material as both historian and sociologist, is able to illuminate the Irish case of nationalism by placing it in a broad, comparative perspective, showing how cultural nationalism has often provided those answers to the problems of nation building and the rediscovery of national identity that political nationalism failed to provide. This book will be of interest to all those in the social sciences and history who are concerned with problems of national identity, the uses of history and culture in the creation of modern nations, and the particular case of the development of nationalist movements in Ireland.

There has long been a debate about implications of globalization for the survival of the world of sovereign nation-states, and the role of nationalism as both an agent of and a response to globalization. In contrast, until recently there has been much less debate about the fate of religion. ‘Globalization’ has been viewed as part of the rationalization process, which has already relegated religion to the dustbin of history, just as it threatens the nation, as the world moves toward a cosmopolitan ethics and politics. The chapters in this book, however, make the case for the salience and resilience of religion, often in conjunction with nationalism, in the contemporary world in several ways.This book highlights the diverse ways in which religions first and foremost make use of the traditional power and communication channels available to them, like strategies of conversion, the preservation of traditional value systems, and the intertwining of religious and political power. Nevertheless, challenged by a more culturally and religiously diversified societies and by the growth of new religious sects, contemporary religions are also forced to let go of these well known strategies of preservation and formulate new ways of establishing their position in local contexts. This collection of essays by established and emerging scholars brings together theory-driven and empirically-based research and case-studies about the global and bottom-up strategies of religions and religious traditions in Europe and beyond to rethink their positions in their local communities and in the world.