The Sociology of Nationalism: Tomorrow's Ancestors

David McCrone examines why nationalism is on the rise despite the collapse of communism and the declining relevancy of the nation state. He outlines the fall and rise of nationalism and its complex relationship to ethnicity and the nation state. He describes nationalists as "tomorrow's ancestors" who construct their own identity and past in order to legitimate the present and offer signposts for the future. Exploring the different manifestations of nationalism from colonial to post-communist, McCrone considers the work of Ernest Geller on the sociology of nationalism. Throughout,The Sociology of Nationalismbreaks new ground by showing how nationalism constitutes a social movement which cannot be categorized simply as an ideology of the left or right.