Module SXS-4064:
Nationalism and Minorities

Module Facts

Run by School of History, Philosophy and Social Sciences

20 Credits or 10 ECTS Credits

Semester 1

Organiser: Dr Robin Mann

Overall aims and purpose

This module will examine key issues and debates concerning nationalism, nations and national identity. The relationships between nationalism, citizenship and minority rights will be considered with reference to empirical examples. Debates and policies concerned with the management of cultural and ethnic diversity by the state will also be considered. The approach is interdisciplinary drawing on sociology, politics, history, geography and anthropology with case study examples provided from a variety of global cases. It aims to provide students with a global and comparative understanding of individual cases, of their historical antecedents, and of the key similarities and differences between them. It will focus upon a broad and detailed range of controversial and challenging questions for respecting cultural difference within a globally complex and interconnected world.

Course content

The course will be divided into two parts. The first part will examine the general theoretical arguments and approaches concerning nationalism, ethnicity, racism and multiculturalism. The second part will be devoted to specific types of contemporary nationalisms focusing on minority nationalisms, the implications of nationalism for immigrants, indigenous peoples, as well as their relations with majorities. Individual weekly lecture topics will be drawn from the following:

Part A: Theoretical arguments • Analytical concepts: nation, culture, indigenous people, ethnic group • Social structures of gender, race and class • Theories of nationalism: historical and contemporary • Multiculturalism and the politics of recognition • Groupist and essentialist fallacies

Part B: Empirical examples • Self-determination and nations without states • Indigenous peoples, land and modernity • The politics of minority languages • Ethnic and nationalist conflict • Majorities as minorities

Assessment Criteria

threshold

Threshold (40%) Demonstrate a knowledge and awareness of the key debates and concepts surrounding nationalism and minority rights, and an understanding of the ethics and politics of multiculturalism. Be familiar with at least one empirical example of the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples and of its wider historical and political context. Present spoken and written material clearly, focusing on major points relevant to the question or argument; locate basic sources of information and produce appropriately formatted and referenced work.

good

Good (60%) Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and critical understanding of the key debates and concepts surrounding nationalism and minority rights, and a critical understanding of the ethics and politics of multiculturalism. Be familiar with some empirical examples of the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples, of the differences between them, and be able to explain them in relation to their wider historical, political and societal contexts. Speak and write in fluent prose, summarising material and arguments competently; search databases efficiently, contribute effectively within a group.

excellent

Excellent (70%) Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge and critical evaluation of the key debates and concepts surrounding nationalism and minority rights, and a critical understanding of the ethics and politics of multiculturalism. An ability to apply and evaluate theoretical and conceptual issues in relation to empirical examples. An ability to identify similarities and differences between several empirical examples of the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples, and to be able to explain them in relation to their wider historical, political and societal contexts. Make oral and written presentations of relatively complex material in a clear and competent manner, identifying and focusing on some of the major relevant issues; work independently to locate a wide range of sources of information, and produce properly referenced written work that is of a good standard.

Learning outcomes

  1. Understand the development of minority rights, and their differences and tensions with individual and social rights.

  2. Understand the key epistemological issues surrounding the concepts of nationalism, nations, multiculturalism ethnic group, indigenousness;

  3. Critically evaluate the key debates surrounding the so-called ‘politics of multiculturalism’

  4. Demonstrate a critical appreciation of the historical processes of marginalisation and minoritisation of minorities and indigenous groups in the context of nationalism, state expansion and development of ‘the West’

  5. Demonstrate knowledge of at least one international case study of minority or indigenous rights and be able to place it within its wider historical and political context.

Assessment Methods

Type Name Description Weight
ESSAY Essay

Students are provided with a list of essay questions to choose from. Essay questions broadly correspond to weekly lecture topics. Students may also design their own essay question subject to approval from the tutor.

 100

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Hours
Lecture

10 x 1 hour weekly lectures.

 10
Seminar

10 x 1 hour weekly seminars based on student-led presentations.

 10
Private study

Reading and independent study

 180

Transferable skills

  • Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
  • Numeracy - Proficiency in using numbers at appropriate levels of accuracy
  • Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
  • Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
  • Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
  • Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sensitevely with others
  • Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
  • Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
  • Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting
  • Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others

Courses including this module

Compulsory in courses:

Optional in courses: