Firstly, it is important to understand that a modern state is a institutional element responsible for maintaining and managing the process of socialization (Blacksell 2006, 39).Blacksell describes nationalism as the strong identification of national objectives and ideals by the people so as to allow a more definitive and integrated concept of state (Blacksell 2006, 42). Naturally, nationalism plays a key role in transforming states into nations in that it causes the populace to become actively involved in the political and national processes while closely associated with national ideals and mutually aligned toward building the nation (Blacksell 2006, 42). This directly leads to the populace defining themselves in relation to their national
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Language plays a monumental role in helping establish cultural differences and in forming a national identity (Blacksell 2006, 77), which is strikingly evident in cases where a country declares a national language. This naturally serves to exclude those who do not speak this language, thereby creating institutional differences between the country and the rest of the world. Language goes hand-in-hand with cultural and ethnic attributes. Ethnical and cultural differences are most often associated with systematic oppression against minority groups due to racial and cultural prejudice (Blacksell 2006, 80). It is also largely due to a nationalist mentality, dedicated to a singular goal, in opposition of what/whom is not inherently accepted into their institutional framework. Has there been a time in history where state nationalism served to oppress the majority whilst benefiting minority groups? I do not think so. However, state nationalism in which minority groups are systematically oppressed, as in the case of the French Revolution, minority nationalism emerges to seek true inclusion or independence. Additionally, religion plays a key role in dividing people through the differences in institutional structure and culture. For example, religions form political parties in India, the Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind for example (Blacksell 2006, 85). These religious parties ignite tensions and fuel discourse and arguments driven by fundamental differences in the institutional structures of these
Language plays a monumental role in helping establish cultural differences and in forming a national identity (Blacksell 2006, 77), which is strikingly evident in cases where a country declares a national language. This naturally serves to exclude those who do not speak this language, thereby creating institutional differences between the country and the rest of the world. Language goes hand-in-hand with cultural and ethnic attributes. Ethnical and cultural differences are most often associated with systematic oppression against minority groups due to racial and cultural prejudice (Blacksell 2006, 80). It is also largely due to a nationalist mentality, dedicated to a singular goal, in opposition of what/whom is not inherently accepted into their institutional framework. Has there been a time in history where state nationalism served to oppress the majority whilst benefiting minority groups? I do not think so. However, state nationalism in which minority groups are systematically oppressed, as in the case of the French Revolution, minority nationalism emerges to seek true inclusion or independence. Additionally, religion plays a key role in dividing people through the differences in institutional structure and culture. For example, religions form political parties in India, the Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind for example (Blacksell 2006, 85). These religious parties ignite tensions and fuel discourse and arguments driven by fundamental differences in the institutional structures of these