EVOLUTION OF THE PERCEPTION AND DEFINITION OF THE TERM “NATIONALISM”
Елена ПАХОМОВА Молдавский государственный университет
Abstract
Nationalism is a companion of political and economic processes. Periods of “awakening of national consciousness” coincide with fundamental changes in the country or region. These processes usually benefit the elites, who prove to be the instigators of “change” in society and in the state.
At the same time, several types of nationalism can be observed within one state. Imperial nationalism seeks to suppress both ethnic and civil nationalism, and vice versa – these latter are opposed to the imperial spirit. Such types of nationalism as racism and nativism, which presuppose the superiority of some individuals over others, can be more ambitious, going beyond the borders of some states.
In the XX century, ethnic nationalism led to the destruction of several states. Therefore, the term acquired a negative connotation. Due to the constant mutation of processes and the variety of forms of interaction in society, researchers believe that it is impossible to define the term “nationalism” in its final version.
Keywords: nationalism, nation, ethnos, racism, primordialism, modernism, instrumentalism.
