Culture,History And Ethnic:Research On The National Identity Of Anthony Smith

The national phenomenon dominated the history of the 19 th and 20 th centuries,and modern nation-states built people's identity through nationalism.Nationality is a collective identity of the members of the modern state,and the national identity means that members of the society are identified by the "people" and the "nation" as a community.This paper,based on the national identity thought of Anthony.Smith,tries to present Smith's academic thoughts and enhance our understanding of national identity.At Smith on the origin of the national identity issue,based on the criticism of modern nationalism and primordialism nationalism,constructed a system of ethno-symbolism,in his view,the national identity is not a modernist claims is purely a product of human construction,nor primordialism think ethnic identity is rooted in the blood of the native products.On the basis of criticism and absorption,Smith believes that national identity is rooted in the history and culture of ethnic groups,and can provide an identity for individuals.Smith believes that the object of national identity is pluralism and fusion,and the object of national identity is not only derived from the construction of symbols,but also not only from the natural blood relationship.He pointed out that national identity is the western mode of "citizen" and "ethnic group" of non-western model,and summed up a general sense of national identity of the object of five dimensions,namely the common ancestral,common customs,common law,common mass culture,common economic life.In the face of globalization,Anthony Smith rejected the national identity "death" and "attenuation",he is still optimistic for the future of national identity,the global cultural diversity and political pluralism gives the concept and forms of the nation state to define and consolidate,super national identity is difficult to form,national identity in the future is still very important in the process of globalization.Smith proposed ethno-symbolism paradigm in the theoretical spectrum of nationalism in the middle position,is a "middle path",the paradigm for understanding the origin of ethnic identity,object provides a new perspective with the core problems such as path,but there is no denying that Smith's theory of national identity too much emphasis on intangible factors such as history and culture on the formation of the national identity,to ignore or belittle the economic,political and other factors in the development of national strength.