OSPOXFRD 73: Nationhood: Theory and History

Instructor: Ilya Afanasyev

What is nationhood and how should we think its history? This course pivots around a paradox in scholarship. On the one hand, ‘modernism’ that frames nationhood as a modern phenomenon that was non-existent or unimportant before the eighteenth century has become the dominant paradigm in ethnicity and nationalism studies since the 1980s. On the other hand, the same period has seen the publication of literally thousands of books and articles on ethnicity and national identity in the Middle Ages. How can we make sense of the parallel existence of these two paradigms and what can we learn from thinking across this chronological rift? The goal of this course is to interrogate the conceptual and empirical arguments and limitations of both paradigms and explore – through a combination of historiographical critique and thematic case-studies – the possibility of articulating a critical theory and history of nationhood that is not defined by the ‘modern’/’pre-modern’ divide.Outcomes: by taking this course students will acquire an in-depth understanding of key approaches to the long history of ethnicity, nationhood and nationalism, improve their critical-thinking and argumentative skills by learning to navigate complex debates in humanities and social sciences and explore different modalities of using theory to make sense of historical examples and, conversely, of applying empirical material to challenge and deepen theory.Format & course work: this class will be taught in the seminar format, predominantly structured around discussion of assigned readings. Students will be asked to write two essays (one, if the course is taken for 4 units) and prepare one in-class presentation.

Units: 4-5 | Grading Basis: Letter grade | Component: Seminar

*All courses are subject to change.