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Capitalism and nationalism in the longue durée: Hegemony, crisis, and state-seeking nationalist mobilization, 1492–2013

Posted on 2020-08-02 - 12:06

This article analyzes the historical dynamics of state-seeking nationalism from 1492 to 2013. By synthesizing Gramsci’s insights of hegemony with world-systems perspective and historical institutionalism, I introduce a new theoretical frame that gives crisis, uneven development, and the relationship between structure and agency, a central place in conceptualizing nationalist mobilization. I also introduce a new major database, that is, The State-Seeking Nationalist Movements (SSNM) database, which includes two unique datasets for historical analysis of nationalism. The first dataset includes articles reporting on state-seeking nationalist activities throughout the world from 1804 to 2013 using international news reports. The second dataset is compiled from secondary sources and it includes revolutionary situations and conflicts involving state-seeking movements from 1492 to 1829. Combining the two original datasets, the SSNM database is a rich new empirical resource for the sociological study of state-seeking nationalism from a long term and global perspective. Historical patterns and multivariate negative binomial regression analysis suggest that SSNM are more likely to take place during periods of financialization, economic crisis, interstate wars, colonial occupation, and intense social unrest. In addition to these structural factors, the findings also bring attention to the role of agency. Nationalist organizations increase the likelihood of state-seeking nationalism but they cannot produce nationalist mobilization as they please. They do it under structural conditions beyond their control that constrain or ease their mobilization. Although I find strong evidence for historical institutionalism, the theory and findings presented in this article suggest that the accumulation of non-hegemonic state power does not help rulers contain state-seeking nationalism. I find no evidence for primordialism, economic/political modernization theories, or globalization-breeds-nationalism arguments. I conclude by discussing how the new theory and new data introduced in this article advances our understanding of the dynamics of nationalism and global governance patterns in world history.

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