Generations and Nationalism

Generations and Nationalism breaks new ground by placing the impact of generation and generational changes at the forefront of an investigation on the transformation of nationalist movements and the evolution of support for independence in Catalonia, Quebec and Scotland.

The main objective of the book is to explore how a focus on generations and generational change can add, first, to the theoretical toolkit used in the study of nationalism and, second, can lead to a better understanding of the recent evolution of nationalism in three internal nations: Catalonia, Quebec and Scotland. The book is also an occasion to revisit the distinct evolution of nationalism in these three internal nations that have been the object of important comparative studies in the past and frequent comparisons in public discourses, but in which nationalist movements have gone through relatively distinct transformations over the past decade. The different chapters tackle nation-building, autonomy and self-determination; ethnic identity, conflict and accommodation; ethnonationalism, irredentism and separatism; and immigration, naturalization and citizenship. The book also is unique to the extent that it establishes a dialogue between scholars who are specialists of public opinion drawing on quantitative methods, and scholars drawing on different comparative historical perspectives in sociology and political science.

Containing both theoretical discussions of nationalism as well as case studies and comparative analyses of nationalist movements, Generations and Nationalism will be of great interest to students and scholars researching nationalism, public opinion, youth politics, political theory and quantitative and historical methods.

Alain-G Gagnon is Professor of Political Science and the Canada Research Chair of Quebec and Canadian Studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada.

Luc Turgeon is Professor of Political Science at the University of Ottawa, Canada.