ABSTRACT
Within orthodox interpretations of nationalism, minority nations are framed as challenging the established order, while the state is framed as being neutral. This chapter challenges this interpretation along two reinforcing axes using the British state to exemplify its argument. First, it builds a theoretical framework for what can be termed “majority nationalism.” While many authors hint at and allow for this within their theoretical frameworks (Mann 1993, 1995; Hechter 2000; Deutsch 1966a; Billig 1995), it has received scant academic attention, with Kaufmann’s (2004) edited volume being a notable exception. Second, it outlines ways in which identity becomes problematized within the state due to majority nationalism and in doing so introduces two opposing interpretations of the state in multinational communities; unionist and pan-nationalist. Much of the current nationalism literature appears to interpret nationalism as being the “fault” of minority nations. This work seeks to establish that nationalism is the result of a dialectical relationship between the majority and minority nations and conflicting interpretations of the nature of the state, contributing to a wider understanding of territorial identity mobilization and the relationship between nation and state.1
