Communities, nations and nation-states

The essentials

Community identity is ascriptive: it is based on birth and belonging rather than on achievement. People do not choose their mother tongue or the community of their parents, yet such identities give them security and meaning. Because these identities are emotionally powerful, threats to them can provoke strong reactions.

A nation is a large community of communities that shares some sense of a common history, culture or political destiny. There is no single feature, such as one language or religion, that all nations share. A nation-state is a nation that has its own state. Sociologists note that a nation may be defined as a community that has succeeded in acquiring a state, while many communities that aspire to statehood do not achieve it.

States have dealt with diversity in two broad ways. Assimilationist policies try to make all citizens adopt the culture of the dominant group, for example by imposing one language. Integrationist policies try to create a common national identity while allowing cultural differences to remain in private life or in recognised forms. Policies that suppress minority cultures can backfire by alienating groups and fuelling conflict. An example often discussed is Sri Lanka, where making Sinhala the sole official language contributed to Tamil alienation.

Key points

• Ascriptive identities: based on birth, not choice.
• Nation: a community with a shared sense of identity and political aspiration.
• Nation-state: a nation with its own state.
• The Indian approach recognises cultural diversity through constitutional rights, linguistic states and minority protections.

Exam tips

Practise identifying whether a given policy is assimilationist or integrationist.

Common mistakes

Do not assume that a nation must have one religion or one language; India is a counter-example.