Description
A careful analysis of the social media campaigns of Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, and the Brexit campaigners, which shows how today's new nationalists are cultivating support from white majorities by tapping into their history and culture. Across the West, there has been a resurgence of ethnic nationalism, populism, and anti-immigrant sentiment - a phenomenon that many commentators have called the "new nationalism." In The New Nationalism in America and Beyond, Robert Schertzer and Eric Taylor Woods seek to understand why the bastions of liberalism are proving to be fertile ground for a decidedly illiberal ideology. To do so, they examine the social media campaigns of three of the most successful exemplars of the new nationalism: Donald Trump in the US, Marine Le Pen in France, and Brexit in the UK. Schertzer and Woods show how today's new nationalists are cultivating support from white majorities by drawing from long-standing myths and symbols to construct an image of the nation as an ethnic community. Their cutting-edge and multidisciplinary approach combines elements of political science, sociology, history, and communication and media studies, to show how leaders today are updating the historical foundations of ethnic nationalism for the digital age.
About the Author
Robert Schertzer is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. His research examines the intersection of three areas: federalism, constitutional law, and the politics of national identity. His work has appeared in top venues, including Ethnic and Racial Studies; Publius; Nations and Nationalism and the International Journal of Constitutional Law. His first book, The Judicial Role in a Diverse Federation (2016), was shortlisted for the best book on Canadian politics by the Canadian Political Science Association. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, he spent a decade with the Government of Canada working on social policy, immigration policy and intergovernmental relations. Eric Taylor Woods is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Sociology at the University of Plymouth. His research examines the relationship between culture and politics, with a particular focus on nationalism. He has published in numerous academic journals, such as: American Journal of Cultural Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Ethnicities, and Nations and Nationalism. His most recent book, entitled, A Cultural Sociology of Anglican Mission and the Indian Residential School in Canada: The Long Road to Apology (2016), engages with theories of cultural trauma to shed new light on Christian-Indigenous relations in Canada.
Reviews
This book is an effective introduction to nationalism, and the writing is accessible to upper-level undergraduates. The authors' analysis provides compelling evidence that ethnic nationalism is an international phenomenon and its powerful reassertion is attributable to factors beyond any single individual's control. * Choice *
This innovative study by Schertzer and Woods shows the power of ethnic nationalism through the tweets of Trump, Le Pen and the Brexit campaigns. It shows how ethnic nationalism is defining feature in the US, Britain and France, conventionally associated with a more civic understanding of nationalism. It also helps the reader to understand their success in a larger historical context and comparative perspective that moves beyond the prevailing focus on populism. * Florian Bieber, Professor of Southeast European History and Politics, University of Graz, Austria *
What if Trump's version of America is who "we" are?' With this intriguing question, this timely book captivates the reader from the very first page. To answer it, the authors explore the possibility of a deeply rooted ethnic nationalism in some of the world's most liberal and prosperous democracies. In doing so, they offer a systematic- and compelling- analysis of how historically constituted conceptions of ethnic identity are used today in the US and elsewhere in the West. A valuable resource for anyone interested in how ethnicity and culture impact on contemporary politics, and why the 'new nationalism' has become so successful. * Daphne Halikiopoulou, Professor of Comparative Politics University of Reading *
Timely and insightful, Schertzer and Woods fundamentally remind us that nations are not only political but also cultural projects, rooted in repertoires of myths and symbols that ethnic majorities seek to defend against perceived existential threats. This rigorous, thoughtful examination of the rise of ethnic nationalism in the West adeptly anchors the political mobilization of white majorities in the defensive postures that define them while simultaneously explaining the broader historical and cultural contexts that are so often missing from contemporary analyses. An exceptional read! * Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Professor, School of Public Affairs and School of Education, American University *
Book Information
ISBN 9780197547830
Author Robert Schertzer
Format Paperback
Page Count 232
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 340g
Dimensions(mm) 152mm * 226mm * 15mm
About the Author
Robert Schertzer is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. His research examines the intersection of three areas: federalism, constitutional law, and the politics of national identity. His work has appeared in top venues, including Ethnic and Racial Studies; Publius; Nations and Nationalism and the International Journal of Constitutional Law. His first book, The Judicial Role in a Diverse Federation (2016), was shortlisted for the best book on Canadian politics by the Canadian Political Science Association. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, he spent a decade with the Government of Canada working on social policy, immigration policy and intergovernmental relations. Eric Taylor Woods is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Sociology at the University of Plymouth. His research examines the relationship between culture and politics, with a particular focus on nationalism. He has published in numerous academic journals, such as: American Journal of Cultural Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Ethnicities, and Nations and Nationalism. His most recent book, entitled, A Cultural Sociology of Anglican Mission and the Indian Residential School in Canada: The Long Road to Apology (2016), engages with theories of cultural trauma to shed new light on Christian-Indigenous relations in Canada.
Reviews
This book is an effective introduction to nationalism, and the writing is accessible to upper-level undergraduates. The authors' analysis provides compelling evidence that ethnic nationalism is an international phenomenon and its powerful reassertion is attributable to factors beyond any single individual's control. * Choice *
This innovative study by Schertzer and Woods shows the power of ethnic nationalism through the tweets of Trump, Le Pen and the Brexit campaigns. It shows how ethnic nationalism is defining feature in the US, Britain and France, conventionally associated with a more civic understanding of nationalism. It also helps the reader to understand their success in a larger historical context and comparative perspective that moves beyond the prevailing focus on populism. * Florian Bieber, Professor of Southeast European History and Politics, University of Graz, Austria *
What if Trump's version of America is who "we" are?' With this intriguing question, this timely book captivates the reader from the very first page. To answer it, the authors explore the possibility of a deeply rooted ethnic nationalism in some of the world's most liberal and prosperous democracies. In doing so, they offer a systematic- and compelling- analysis of how historically constituted conceptions of ethnic identity are used today in the US and elsewhere in the West. A valuable resource for anyone interested in how ethnicity and culture impact on contemporary politics, and why the 'new nationalism' has become so successful. * Daphne Halikiopoulou, Professor of Comparative Politics University of Reading *
Timely and insightful, Schertzer and Woods fundamentally remind us that nations are not only political but also cultural projects, rooted in repertoires of myths and symbols that ethnic majorities seek to defend against perceived existential threats. This rigorous, thoughtful examination of the rise of ethnic nationalism in the West adeptly anchors the political mobilization of white majorities in the defensive postures that define them while simultaneously explaining the broader historical and cultural contexts that are so often missing from contemporary analyses. An exceptional read! * Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Professor, School of Public Affairs and School of Education, American University *
Book Information
ISBN 9780197547830
Author Robert Schertzer
Format Paperback
Page Count 232
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 340g
Dimensions(mm) 152mm * 226mm * 15mm
