Identity as Ideology

Despite profound disagreement on whether identities are essential or existential, primordial or constructed, singular or multiple, there is little dispute over whether identities exist or not. In this provocative study, Sinisa Malesevic interrogates the unproblematic use of concepts of identity, and in particular national or ethnic identity.

'Sinisa Malesevic is one of the brightest and most provocative young scholars writing about identity today. Here he takes well-worn basic themes, such as ideology, that have been recently somewhat overlooked in this context and breathes fresh life into them. In the process, he revives contemporary sociological debates about ethnicity and nationalism. Written with passion and commitment, this is a 'must read'' - Richard Jenkins, University of Sheffield, UK

'...thought-provoking and eminently readable work...I found this to be both a provactive and engaging piece of work which illustrates the problems of treating social groups as 'categories of social analysis'...' - Michael Skey, Nations and Nationalism

'...this is a thoroughly recommendable book that will interest social theorists as well as students and scholars of fields such as nationalism, ethnicity, genocide, and indeed, racism...' - Peter Martin, Ethnic and Racial Studies

Autorentext
SINISA MALESEVIC is a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Politics, National University of Ireland. His recent books include The Sociology of Ethnicity (2004) and Ideology, Legitimacy and the New State (2002).

Inhalt
Introduction PART ONE: CONCEPTS Ethnic and National Identity: The Conceptual Critique An Operational Phantom Rehabilitating Ideology PART TWO: THEORIES The Dominant Ideology of Modernity Devine Ethnies and Sacred Nations Coercion, Nationalism and Popular Culture PART THREE: EXPERIENCES Institutionalizing Ethnicity and Nationess Identitarian Intellectuals and Ethno-nationalism Ethnic Cleansing, Nation-building and Modernity Concluding Remarks Notes References