ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the relationship between nationalism and xenophobia arguing that currently the nation-state is facing three challenges regarding: a) its sovereignty (independence and autonomy of decision-making); b) its cultural composition (culture is not anymore, the unifying bond); and c) its territory (trespassing of borders). These challenges have consequences on how people view their societies. The chapter revisits the way nationalism is fed in crisis-ridden societies in terms of ownership, nostalgia and a quest of national sovereignty and argues that under these conditions, populist beliefs of vertical (against elites) and horizontal (against others) arise leading to xenophobia (the fear of the Other viewed as threatening). Because these beliefs are associated with right-wing ideologies, crisis-ridden societies run the risk of shifting towards more extreme and conservative stances that put into question the democratic process.
