Nationalism and ethnicity in the study of international relations

The evolution of International Relations (IR) scholarship on ethnicity and nationalism has been remarkable. IR theories have traditionally centered on the nation-state as the core unit, predicting more constancy than change in the international system. Subsequent waves of scholarship have corrected this picture. This work consists of four consecutive, overlapping, and ongoing waves of scholarship inspired by methodological nationalism, methodological groupism, methodological individualism, and critical methodologies. This work has problematized the conflation of states with nations in traditional IR theory, challenging primordialist assumptions about the relationship between the state and national and ethnic identities. It further showcased how nationalism shapes policy outcomes, influences foreign policy, and sometimes triggers conflicts. This research additionally demonstrated that societal phenomena drive revisionist foreign policies, which ultimately affect the international system. It has also revealed the substantial role played by non-state actors, diasporas, and regional powers in shaping inter-state conflicts and statehood aspirations. Finally, the critical IR scholarship has deconstructed the fusion of nationalist ideologies with other doctrines, highlighting their impact on global politics. The importance of engaging with this type of work has grown as the liberal international order (LIO) becomes increasingly fractured along ethnonational or civilizational lines.