Nationalism’s Role in Engaging Citizens
Does nationalism subvert or enhance democracy? Aram Hur, a professor at the University of Missouri, explores. Challenging assumptions that nationalism is a divisive spur to sectarian populist politics, she considers how national identity and support for the state may foster a sense of civic duty. Through ethnographic and sociological research, Hur contrasts politics in South Korea and Taiwan (notably over military service obligations) to show how civic duty, underpinned by unifying narratives of national history, reinforces democratic cultures.
Hur uses South Koreans’ response to the Asian financial crisis, particularly gold drives where housewives donated gold to reduce the national debt, to show how national identity rather than economic self-interest can bolster democratic engagement. Narratives reinforcing a sense of “my nation” need not be ethnically or culturally determined, but can emerge from a common sense of belonging linked to historicized identity politics. By contrast, in Taiwan, where political loyalties, whether to the Chinese mainland-associated Kuomintang or the indigenous Democratic Progressive Party, undermine this sense of a common narrative, civic duty is less prevalent and democratic resilience weakened.
Hur broadens her analysis to consider implications for democracies worldwide, showing the emotional pull of nationalism and how it can reinforce democratic norms when allied with a strong sense of civic duty. Reviewed by John Nilsson-wright, Associate Professor, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, and Head, Japan & Koreas Programme, Centre for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge.