The development of pre-contemporary conceptions of the nation: An alternative to modernist theories

Abstract

n the theoretical study of the nation, the second half of the twentieth century was characterized by the disavowal of essentialist visions and the absolute predominance of modernist theories; that is, by the idea that national identity is a phenomenon exclusive to the contemporary age. In recent years, however, different studies have appeared that question this perspective and, whilst also maintaining distance from essentialism, defend the idea that the national phenomenon has an earlier historical origin. The approaches in this sense are varied; some are case studies, others present broader visions. Some authors simply intend to question the modernist perspective, whereas others provide a causal explanation with the aim of replacing it. The most relevant contributions are subjected to analysis and criticism in this study. It is argued that the pre-contemporary approach to the national phenomenon offers solid arguments to question modernist theories, and is thus achieving an increasing degree of acceptance. This suggests that the modernist perspective may lose its current status as a dominant paradigm in the future.