Quick posting about my new semester.
I am taking three seminars again: Theories of Nationalism, Politics of Institutions, and Modern Korean History. The first two are political science department’s PhD classes that I am taking in preparation for my comprehensive exams. They are both quite helpful to see what kind of approach/theories are available for my future dissertation. The Korean history class is a good introduction to the field for me, and I especially enjoy online assignments. We have a class blog and we are supposed to post at least two entries a week. Thus I am posting more there than here currently. Another thing is to create or modify a wikipedia entry on a relevant issue. I started to realize that talking about history is a much more political action than talking about political science stuff. It feels like I am slowly stepping into the very core of politics of nations and nationalism now.
I remember that I promised to post some of my theoretical thoughts on nationalism and liberalism by the end of the last semester. I actually wrote a paper on the relationship between the concept of the public sphere, both as a causal mechanism and as an analytical tool, and the rise of nationalism in my theory class. I looked at Kant’s principle of the public sphere, and the analyses of modernity by Arendt and Habermas to see if they would be able to explain nationalism well. I do not mind sharing some of my not-very-comprehensively-thought-through ideas here but I figured highly abstract arguments are not interesting to general blog readers.
Hi Sayaka
Nationalism is very difficult.(defining and searching essential parts)
Recently, In Japan many peoples say patriotism.
Of course, patriotism is very ambiguous concept.
may be its connect with national identity.
Some intellectuals analysis that this phenomenon is ‘patriot race or patriot game’ inter Japan-China-South Korea.
You know, In Japan its trend of increasing right-wing.
By the way Eiji Oguma’s books are very interesting.
I read his all books.
At one time, memory and self ore collective narrative is important factor of changing politics and political systems.(This thought is constructivism approach )
If you may, I want to exchange E-mail.
I want to know using books your class and etc.
Take care, see ya.