Application analysis

Write a well-organized essay of not less than 1000 words appraising Benedict Anderson’s Imagined
Communities. How important and/or useful is Benedict Anderson’s work for understanding contemporary
nationalism and/or other forms of collective political belonging? Is his argument broadly generalizable, or is it
limited to specific cases and/or historical periods? Your essay should reference at least four reputable and
appropriate sources in addition to Imagined Communities, and should address at least the following three
broad themes:
The nature of nations and nationalism in the 21st century.
What is a nation? How does Benedict Anderson define the nation? Is this definition sufficient for understanding
nationalism today, in your opinion? Use competing definitions of the nation and of nationalism, as provided by
Renan and Gellner (or explore the definitions of nationalism at the Nationalism Project website) to support your
definition and your analysis of Anderson’s definition.
Reappraising American national identity.
Review the discussions of what it means to be an American that we examined in the first week of the course
(including your own analysis). How well does Anderson’s discussion fit the American case? Consider issues
like print capitalism, the role of English and other languages in American society, the official nationalism of the
American state, as represented by institutions of power, like census, map, and/or museum, the relationships
between nationalism, patriotism, and racism, etc.
You should support your discussion in this section with specific empirical evidence from the American case.
Appraising your own identity:
How important is national belonging to your own sense of identity? Is your national identity an important part of
who you are? Why or why not?
How do the concepts of nationhood, nationalism, and other big ideas introduced by Anderson relate to how you
perceive the world? Are you part of an imagined community or communities? Are there alternative ways of
understanding political identity or collective political belonging that are at least as equally persuasive as
national identity?