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Multiple Nationalism
How complexity permits ethnic nationalists and multiculturalists to rub along together
Eric Kaufmann, Birkbeck College, University of [email protected]
Complexity Theory
• Complexity from simplicity: higher level coordination emerges from uncoordinated lower-level actions. Self-organising. Emergence
• Feedback loops• Small changes big effects and vice-versa, i.e. tipping points
• ‘Wisdom of crowds’: knowledge is distributed among individuals rather than centralised in the state
• Examples: market, forest, city
1.Emergence
Classic v Complex Diffusion
• ‘State’ – top down diffusion. Gradual, out from centre to peripheries and down social scale
• ‘Market’ – bottom-up. Peer-to-peer emergence. Erratic, subject to tipping points and ideas can go ‘viral’
Consumers, towns,associations, families
• ‘Everyday nationalism’ (Deloye, Edensor, Fox, etc)
• Popular nationalism (Sidel on Philippines; Kammen/O’Leary on USA)
• Local nationalism: ‘Heimat’ version of nation (Confino, Applegate, Zimmer, Leersen 2014!)
2. Feedback Loops
Supply of QWERTY
Demand for QWERTY
Supply of an idea like nationalism makes it more prestigious, people imitate, makes it more prestigious, people imitate…. NOT JUST PASSIVE DIFFUSION
3. Tipping PointsBig changes no effect, Small change big effect
IRA I vs IRA II
Tipping Points in Epidemics
Role of rumour and spontaneity in nationalist violence
4. The Wisdom of Crowds
Multiple Perspectives on the Nation
• Zones of conflict (Hutchinson 2005)• Lenses of nationhood (Kaufmann 2008)• Multivocality (Eriksen 2014!)
Multiple Nationalism
• Current vogue for integrationist civic nationalism alienates multiculturalists, individualists, ethno-nationalists
• Why not let each take a common minimum and fill in the blanks?
• Wide range of lenses on the nation tolerated and validated
• Tailor-made nationalism, multivocal symbols
Constructive Ambiguity
• Agreement wording is ambiguous
• Sold differently to each side
• Leaders allow each side to believe the deal favours them
• No problem if ethnic Englishman identifies with Britain through his ethnicity