Nationalism Unsettled presents a critical exploration of national imaginaries that disturb, defy or deviate from mainstream nation-state narratives, demanding renewed consideration of the nature of nationalism. In tackling this subject, we bring to the table speakers with cross-disciplinary expertise, spanning history, sociology, geography and the arts, and consider case studies spanning the Caribbean of the late 18th century, China under Mao, and contemporary Venezuela and Russia. At a time when nationalism globally is being re-energized through shifting and newly affecting forms, we invite you to join us in taking a deep dive into this vital subject, harnessing the power of a comparative perspective.

Discussant: Begüm Adalet, Department of Government

Format: 10 minute talk by each panelist on their individual research topic, followed by a 20 minute talk by the discussant, and up to 60 minutes for responses to the discussant and Q&A.

Presentations:

Ernesto Bassi, Department of History: Economic proto-nationalism or creole patriotism? Eighteenth-century visions of prosperity and the broken promises of empire

Mara Yue Du, Department of History: What Was Loving China: Revolutionizing Patriotism under Mao

Irina R. Troconis, Department of Romance Studies: Nation, Unsettled: Translucency, Memory, and Materiality in the Venezuelan Diaspora

Leila Wilmers, Department of Sociology: The myth of national resilience and non-statist imaginaries of the Russian nation

Register for viewing on Zoom.

This event is hosted by the Institute for European Studies as part of the Einaudi Center's democratic threats and resilience research priority. It is co-sponsored by Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the East Asia Program.