In The Name Of The Nation Nationalism In Asia

This course offers a comparative approach to nationalism on three levels. In a first part, it looks into the main theories and paradigms of nationalism, as well as into Asian critiques of the 'European' construct of nationalism as tied to the history of European industrialization and Enlightenment. On this first level, the limitations of generalizing theories of nationalism and their implications with regard to Asia will be explored. Secondly, instead of limiting the study of nationalism to an East Asian, Southeast Asian, or South Asian context, the course compares how nationalism was shaped in these various parts of Asia at the beginning of the twentieth century in response to empire and colony. On this level, the notion of transnationalism in the regional context of Asia will be explored further through an investigation of the concept of 'Asianism.' On a third level, the course looks at contemporary manifestations of nationalism in Asia from a thematic angle. The case studies in part three will be analyzed with reference to both theories and histories discussed in parts one and two, thereby paying attention to both the continuation of nationalism and challenges to the nation-state in the context of globalization.