Mapping the field: theories of nationalism and the ethnosymbolic approach

To be fully understood, the ethnosymbolic approach, developed by Anthony D. Smith, must be placed in the context of a larger body of literature on nations and nationalism. Two streams of thought are particularly important here: instrumentalism as opposed to primordialism, and modernism as opposed to perennialism. This chapter will explore those theories with which Smith has most oft engaged, placing his own approach within a larger cross-disciplinary context. The scope of this volume compels me to be highly selective: I will only deal with those theories with which Smith has most persistently interacted. Th e reader will not find here much about other theories like rational choice, which still dominates US academia. The chapter will conclude with an exploration of the limits of ethnosymbolism as a tool for interpreting current events and conflicts.