N

Nationalism is perceived as both a globalized and a globalizing phenom-

enon. It is one of the components of culture that has been transmitted

around the globe. It might be described as the political doctrine which holds

that humanity can be divided into separate, discrete units or nations, with

each nation constituting a distinct political unit, the state. The claim to

nationhood usually invokes the idea of a group of people with a shared

culture, often a shared language, sometimes a shared religion, and usually,

but not always, a shared history. To this is added the political claim that this

group of people should, by right, rule itself or be ruled by people of the

same kind (see Nation State).