National University of Singapore

ULT2398B Nationalism and the Arts

Overview and Objectives

For close to a century, analysts pondered nations in terms of how these groupings came into existence.  Was it through shared history, a document such as the Magna Carta, geographical barriers such as a river or mountain range, or perhaps religion?  More recently, theories of nationalism have proposed that nations are constructed, even called into existence, by vehicles as different as a shared language, dissemination of newspapers, guided forgetting, the labor of elites for elites, and more.  This module introduces you to several theories of modern nationalism.  It introduces you, also, to several definitions of art.  By juxtaposing these fields, we create opportunities to enrich your comprehension of nationalism and the arts.  Our ‘Singapore Studies’ mandate makes this juxtaposition particularly intriguing, if gnarled, because of this country’s resistance to primordialist theories.  It sits uneasily too, though, with a more recent proposal about ethno-symbolics.
If terms such as primordialist and ethno-symbolic are new to you, that may be because it’s more common to feel nationalist sentiments than to consider what a nation is, when a nation comes into being, whether nations have origins, how globalization should affect our thinking about these things, the spectre of nations without states, or even – returning to art – an aesthetic that can be dubbed post-nationalist.  To sharpen your grip on nations and nationalism, as well as how art colludes (or collides) with the building thereof, class discussions will probe assorted arguments with two main goals.  One is that every student practices finding his or her way, critically, into abstract arguments.  The other is that every student develops insights tuned to nationalism and the arts or – not the same thing – works of art that are nationalist.
Because one of the exciting aspects of the informed study of nationalism is its multidisciplinary range, electronic prep tips will guide your preparation for class discussion.  Follow-up efforts on IVLE are encouraged.  These sorts of guidance, and support, make this module suitable for all curious citizens, of any state, rather than for political scientists only or Arts students alone.  The sequence of assignments is designed to stair-step learners toward competence in realms which are not often conjoined.  The strands of inquiry we’ll pursue ensure that no student will be expert as our work gets underway and, indeed, that questions will remain as the term draws to its close.  If you bring curiosity to this module, you will find it

• tough but rewarding
• rich with opportunities to strengthen your conceptual and communicative skills
• eye-opening with regard to nations like and unlike your own, but also with regard to what art is for and, thus, how you may engage it.

To start off on the right foot, you should conceptualize this module as a chance for residents of any and every land to think more carefully about nations, art and nationalism.

Keeping a big job in perspective, you may find it useful to realize that part of our work in this module goes toward localizing claims which have been articulated abstractly.  You will read assigned texts, therefore, with an eye to how an argument about nationalism that is based on European experiences can (or can’t) give you leverage on Singapore as a city-state.  Equally, you will analyze creative artifacts such as a national anthem in terms of a theory of art.  It may turn out that you can bring to our attention theories of art you think helpful for our purposes.  But we’ll begin with one that was developed before anyone had dreamed of an independent little red dot.  This theoretical text is Leo Tolstoy’s “What is art?” (1897).  With regard to nationalism, our start-up guide will be a statement published at about the same time: Ernest Renan’s “What is a nation?” (1882).  We start with older arguments because they allow much room for critical converse.  Equally, by starting with arguments that have been widely respected for generations, we are reminded to tread respectfully.  We may find that these classic texts yield insight, even now, or that they need to be supplemented.
Aimed at reflection that is fostered by discussion, and further prodded by written work, this module springs to life through the efforts of lively minds that bring their unique perspectives to the mix.  Success in this module rests on thoughtful engagement and your commitment to communicating with unique intelligences certain to see some things, at least, in ways you don’t.  Come ready to communicate but also to strengthen your conceptual and communicative skills.