From a Historical Division towards "Peaceful Pluralism": Recent Theoretical Approaches to Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict

U novijim teorijskim raspravama između modernista i primordijalista o prirodi nacionalizma i etničkih sukoba stari jaz u pristupima znatno je smanjen. Tako, između ostaloga, dolazi do kompromisne diobe povijesnih značenja nacije, s jedne strane kao elitnoga (ograničenog na srednjovjekovno plemstvo) (Hastings, Smith), a s druge kao masovnog fenomena (u kontekstu modernih revolucija i industrijskog kapitalizma) (Breuilly, Kumar). Također, sve je više interpretativnih pokušaja konstruktivističke sinteze afektivnih i interesnih, odnosno primordijalnih i instrumentalnih, dimenzija nacionalnog identiteta i etničkih sukoba (Brown, Wolff, Brubaker). To je teorijsko stanje okarakterizirano kao “miroljubivi pluralizam” (Smelser) i “kaotično” (Ritzer), gdje raste potreba za kombiniranjem elemenata različitih i dugo vremena oštro suprotstavljenih teorija, što osobito dolazi do izražaja u izgradnji teorijskih polazišta u sferi empirijskih istraživanja. Takva se teorijska strategija može razumjeti i kao dio suvremenoga ideološkog konteksta u kojem se ističe nastojanje da se nacionalnom ili etničkom identitetu osigura mjesto koje ga čini manje konfliktnim a više komplementarnim elementom novih nadnacionalnih sustava, poput Europske Unije.In new theoretical debates between modernists and primordialists about the nature of nationalism and ethnic conflicts, the old gap in approaches has been considerably narrowed. This is why a compromise in the division in the historical meanings of nation has been achieved, on the one hand, between nationalism as an elite phenomenon (limited to medieval gentry) (Hastings, Smith), and on the other, as a mass phenomenon (in the context of modern revolutions and industrial capitalism) (Breuilly, Kumar). Also, there growing interpretive efforts in constructivist synthesis of affective and interest, or primordial and instrumental, dimensions of national identity and ethnic conflict (Brown, Wolff, Brubaker). Such a condition is characterized as “peaceful pluralism” (Smelser), and “chaotic” (Ritzer), where a need for combining elements of different and for a long time opposed theories is growing, which is particularly expressed in the construction of theoretical starting points in the sphere of empirical research. Such a theoretical strategy can be also understood as a part of contemporary ideological context in which there is an effort to secure a place for national or ethnic identity that makes it less conflict oriented, and more of a complementary element of new supranational systems, such as European Union