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Unfinished Imagined Communities: States, Social Movements, and Nationalism in Latin America

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Abstract

This article addresses two shortcomings in the literature on nationalism: the need to theorize transformations of nationalism, and the relative absence of comparative works on Latin America. We propose a state-focused theoretical framework, centered on conflicts between states elites and social movements, for explaining transformations of nationalism. Different configurations of four key factors — the mobilization of excluded elites and subordinate actors, state elites’ political control, the ideological capacities of states, and polarization around ethnoracial cleavages — shape how contrasting trajectories of nationalism unfold over time. A comparative analysis of early– and mid–twentieth century Mexico, Argentina, and Peru illustrates the explanatory power of our theoretical framework.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Brown University, Maxcy Hall, Box 1916, Providence, RI, 02912, USA

    José Itzigsohn & Matthias vom Hau

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  1. José Itzigsohn
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  2. Matthias vom Hau
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Correspondence to José Itzigsohn.

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José Itzigsohn is Associate Professor of Sociology and Ethnic Studies at Brown University. He is the author of Develo** Poverty (Penn State University, 2000). His current research focuses on two main topics. The first is the formation of ethnic, racial, and national identities. The second is grassroots economies and workplace democracy.

Matthias vom Hau is Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology at Brown University. He is currently completing his dissertation, a comparative-historical analysis of nationalism in twentieth-century Argentina, Mexico, and Peru. His research interests involve the intersections among culture and identity, state power, and social movements.

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Itzigsohn, J., vom Hau, M. Unfinished Imagined Communities: States, Social Movements, and Nationalism in Latin America. Theor Soc 35, 193–212 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-006-9001-1

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