Constructing the Narratives of Identity and Power

"The twentieth century has challenged the established vision of the nation-building processes: the formation of new states in the interwar period and the movement from colonialism and Communism in the second part of the century have bought about a new type of nationalism aimed at constructing nations within new political boundaries. While nationalist movements are perceived as a preexisting foundation for the formation of new states, these states often find themselves longing for a distinctive shared national identity. This "nationalizing," "polity-based, nation-shaping" nationalism involves multiple claims by different groups about what constitutes the core of the nation and the rights of specific groups therein; it "invents" nations that never existed before to imbue the newly created state with shared meaning." - Introduction