Nationalism Ernest Gellner Summary

Nationalism! Are Nationalistic Sentiment the Same for Every American ? The debate over nationalism creates conflict within states. These conflicts arise with the question of what nationalism is? who can be a nationalist? what does a nationalist look like? What should be the values of a nationalist and how should he/she display them? Citizens within a state have different understanding of the concept of nationalism. For many, it is based on historical values, race, culture, ethnicities and it is a subject of great pride. For others, nationalism is based on the simple fact of having the legal paper of a nation with a weak sense of belonging within the culture of the influential majority. Scholars such as Ernest Gellner, Anderson, and Samuel
First, he defined nations in terms of shared culture, internally mobile and fluid (What Is a Nation, 55)2. Gellner argued that it is Nationalism that engenders nations and not the other way around (What Is a Nation, 55). He advances to talk about the historical proliferation and cultural wealth etc.. His point essentially explains that the culture and ideologies, including nationalist sentiment of a geographical location is shaped by its elites. Therefore the idea of nationalism can be exclusive. For example, if asked to picture an American, one would most likely describe someone who is white, tall with with blue eyes. This is the image of the nationalist hero represented in the media, movies, children books, etc....The image that nationalism projected many times only embrace the feeling of the majority but not those of minority groups. Many times, that is why many Americans can not relate to each others feeling of being an American, because Americans of different race and sometimes class live different historical inherited differences in every aspect. Thus, nationalism for someone of color like me can have many negative strings attached to it, while for others being an American can mean all the positive aspects and democratic values which they enjoy by either their skin color or their class. Gellner’s argument compelled more to me than Anderson’s. His arguments were more profound because he touched deeper than solely territorial relationship and cultural values which usually can be many and diverse. He took into consideration the cultural aspect of a nation and how it can change the significance of how an individual see his/her nation. To finish, he argues indirectly that nationalist message is constructivist and the image image that pertain to a group that have the power and the mean to push the idea of them consider