‘Political nationalism is a highly complex phenomenon, being characterized more by ambiguity and contradictions: Multimedia Assignment, MU, Ireland

‘Political nationalism is a highly complex phenomenon, being characterized more by ambiguity and contradictions than by a single set of values and goals. For example, nationalism has been both liberating and oppressive: it has brought about self-government and freedom, and it has led to conquest and subjugation. Nationalism has been both progressive and regressive.’

If we map what Heywood is saying here onto civic and ethnic nationalism, then we encounter an interesting possibility: maybe civic and ethnic nationalism is not a fully or entirely distinct type of nationalism. Maybe it depends on the ‘where’ and ‘when’ of a given example of nationalism. In other words, might it be the case that a given example of nationalism shifts from the civic/inclusive to the ethnic/exclusive side of the spectrum or vice versa, depending on the prevailing circumstances?

Or perhaps you want to make a more emphatic argument, i.e. nationalism ‘is’ or ‘is not compatible with ethnic diversity. Either way, you need to remember that a key consideration is how well your essay coheres – i.e. from your introduction through to the conclusion. In other words, if you want to argue that nationalism is compatible with ethnic diversity, yet the main body of your essay suggests that this may not in fact be the case, then your conclusions are not supported by your analysis/examples/discussion.

This is one very good reason to complete the first full draft of your essay with a few days to spare before the deadline. Why? Because this gives you time to set it aside for a day or two, which means you can take another look with a fresh and critical eye before you submit it. In other words, this gives you the chance to make small changes and revisions, which can make a big difference in terms of ironing out the wrinkles.