The nation-state and nationalism in an era of globalization: A review of Anglophone research trends

Abstract

This literature review investigates geographical perspectives on the relationships between globalization, the nation-state, and nationalism by referring to Anglophone research trends since the 1980s. While recent dynamic political, economic, and social change accompanying globalization problematizes sovereignty, territory, and national homogeneity as bases of the state, it promotes new state-formation or state-dissolution caused by nationalism. By reviewing the recent literature, this paper first attempts to grasp such a contradictory situation of the current world political map and theoretically examines the current significance of the nation-state and nationalism. Second, contemporary theories of nationalism, particularly the modernist approach, are reviewed. Finally, this paper examines the relevance of the territorial approach to nationalism by focusing on three spatial concepts: center-periphery relations; territorial identity; and geographical scale. Through these examinations, future directions of political geographic study on the nation-state and nationalism in an era of globalization are indicated.