Whose legitimacy? Elites, nationalism and ethnicity in the United Kingdom

Bibliographic Data

ID3635622
AuthorsR Barker (0000-0002-1625-6698, London School of Economics and Political Science, corresponding author)
Year1995
Volume21
Issue2
Pages207-214
Publication date1995-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueNew Community (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0047-9586 • E-ISSN: 1469-9451
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1369183x.1995.9976485
OpenAlexW2172945845
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited4

The most powerful form of legitimation in the contemporary world is nationalism. A widespread assumption, in describing nationalism both within the United Kingdom and in the world as a whole, has been that nationalism is a movement of peoples against states. But there are good initial reasons to be sceptical of the national or ethnic claim to speak for a community of equals. As a form of legitimacy, nationalism familiarly presents the leader, regime, government, or state as the representative of the nation, the culture of the community or patria politically expressed. Nationalism seeks exceptional representativess of its mundane virtues, and has a long history of fondness for heroes and patriarchs. So the state in the United Kingdom, if it seeks to maintain legitimacy by entering into semi‐corporate partnership with the representatives of minorities, will not only legitimise itself, but the leaders, patriarchs, or representatives as well

Ethnic group · Ethnic nationalism · Legitimacy · Legitimation · Nationalism · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Gender Studies · Irish and British Studies · Law · Political Systems and Governance · Public Administration · Scottish History and National Identity

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub