Бакалавриат
2026/2027
Национализм в современной истории
ID 1178401
Статус:
Курс по выбору (История)
Кто читает:
Департамент истории
Где читается:
Санкт-Петербургская школа гуманитарных наук и искусств
Когда читается:
5-й курс, 3 модуль
Охват аудитории:
для своего кампуса
Преподаватели:
Янг Перри Иви
Язык:
английский
Кредиты:
5
Контактные часы:
28
Course Syllabus
Abstract
Nationalism in Modern History examines the modern history of nationalism from 1789 to 1991 from a comparative and global perspective. Combining theoretical scholarship with historical case studies, it explores the emergence of the nation-state, the impact of the French Revolution, the consolidation of national identities in modern Europe in the 19th century, and the transformation of nationalism in the contexts of imperialism, colonialism, and decolonization in the Global South in the 20th century.
The course engages with both classical and modern theories of nationalism. We will discuss the theories of the founding fathers of nationalism, such as Johann Gottfried Herder, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, and Giuseppe Mazzini, alongside major modern theorists, including Benedict Anderson, Anthony Smith, and Eric Hobsbawm. Central questions include: When and why did nationalism first arise? What is the relationship between ethnic and civic conceptions of nationalism? How do popular culture, social structures, and state institutions interact in the formation and evolution of national identities? Is nationalism a transitory historical phenomenon or an inherent feature of human nature?
Learning Objectives
- - Students will gain an nuanced understanding of the diversity and character of nationalism across modern history.
- - Students will be able to engage critically with modernist, primordialist, perennialist, and ethno-symbolist theories of nationalism.
- - Students will be able to trace the development of nationalism from the liberal nationalism of the French Revolution, through nineteenth-century conservative nationalism in Germany, to the right- and left-wing nationalisms of the twentieth century.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- - Students will develop a nuanced understanding of the diversity and character of nationalism across modern history.
- - Students can identify the origins of modern nationalism in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars
- Students compare and contrast the liberal nationalism of the French Revolution with the conservative nationalism of Germany and Italy in the first half of the 19th century.
- Students develop a nuanced understanding of the modernist school of nationalism, identify key thinkers and their arguments.
- Students develop a nuanced understanding of perennialist, primordialist, and ethno-symbolist school of nationalism, identify key thinkers and their arguments.
- Students trace the development of right-wing nationalism from the 19th to the 20th centuries
- Students trace the development of left-wing nationalism from the 19th to the 20th centuries
- Students analyze the complex relationship between nationalism and empire in the 19th and 20th centuries
- Students gain familiarity with new, contemprary approaches to the study of nationalism, including banal nationalism, national indifference as a category of analysis, and others.
Course Contents
- The French Revolution and Liberal Nationalism
- Romanticism and Conservative Nationalism
- Imagined Communities? Modernist Theories of Nationalism
- Primordialist, Perennialist, and Ethno-Symbolic Theories of Nationalism
- Ultranationalism in Europe in the 20th Century
- Nationalism and Empire: the USSR and the Global South
- New Approaches to Nationalism
Assessment Elements
- Participation in SeminarsAssigned readings for each seminar must be completed in advance. Students are expected to take active part in the discussion and demonstrate knowledge of the content of lectures and readings. Participation is assessed based on preparation, engagement, and the quality of contributions to collective analysis and debate.
- Final ExamThe final exam will be administered in class during the final scheduled session (120 minutes). It will consist of short essay questions (one or more paragraphs each) addressing key themes discussed throughout the course. Students must reference course literature by title and author and demonstrate a clear understanding of its arguments. Page numbers are not required. Exams must be taken in person; no online or remote options are available.
- EssayEach student will have the opportunity to conduct an independent investigation of nationalism within a regional and chronological context of his choosing. The essay should investigate an aspect of nationalist movements or ideology, on a topic approved in advance by the instructor. The paper should be 5-8 pages (12-point font, double-spaced) and may take one of two forms: a historiographical essay or an analysis of primary sources. For a historiographical essay, the student must cite at least 5 secondary sources and give a comprehensive view of the state of the field on a particular issue in the historiography of nationalism. For a primary source analysis, the student should cite at least 2 secondary sources and 2 primary sources. Each reference must be accompanied by a screenshot or photograph of the page on which the quote or information was obtained.
Interim Assessment
- 2026/2027 3rd module0.3 * Essay + 0.4 * Final Exam + 0.3 * Participation in Seminars
