ABSTRACT
Although the academic literature is replete with global theorizations of nations, nationalism and the ethnic origins of conflicting groups (Smith 1986‚ Gellner 1983‚ Anderson 1991‚ Hobsbawn 1990-to mention but a few of the more prominent texts), with the exception of the works by Schermerhorn (1970) and Horowitz (1985) there have been few attempts to provide a systematic comparative analysis of social cleavages grounded in differences of “race”, ethnicity and nation. While the present work cannot lay claim to providing a definitive account, it should at least provide the sound basis for such a venture.
