Definition of Nationalism

#Definition of #Nationalism
Nationalism is the spirit of belonging together, or the popular will that seeks to preserve the identity of a group by institutionalizing it in the form of a state. Nationalism can be intensified by common racial, linguistic, historical, and religious ties. It is usually associated with a particular territory. The concept may also be thought of as a function of the ability of a particular group to communicate among themselves more effectively than with outsiders.
Nationalism as a mass emotion is the most powerful operative political force in the world. It makes the state the ultimate focus of the individual's loyalty. This loyalty is exercised and kept alive by the manipulation of a variety of symbols—national heroes, national uniforms, national pledges of allegiance, national holidays, and holy days. As a mass social phenomenon, nationalism can promote solidarity and a sense of belonging. It can also engender hostility, divisiveness, tension, and war between rival nationalist groups or states.