Nationalism and ethnicity are considered within the context of both traditional and "new" (Cold War perspectives) international relations theory. Sandra Joireman explains the conflict between primordialism (the view that ethnicity is inborn and ethnic division natural), instrumentalism (ethnicity is a tool to gain some larger, typically material end) and social constructivism (the emerging consensus that ethnicity is flexible and people can make choices about how they define themselves). Case studies are included on Quebec, Bosnia, Northern Ireland and Eritrea.

Author Biography

Sandra Joireman lectures at Wheaton College, Illlinois. She is a highly experienced teacher and author of acclaimed books on African politics.