Future directions

In the course of putting this book together, we have become conscious of other issues that could be usefully covered in future editions of this book, notably the relationship between the state, nation, nationalism and ethnicity; and the relationship between the state and international organizations.

In terms of the relationship between nationalism, ethnicity and the state, the issue becomes one of questioning the status of the concept of nation state. The idea of the nation state refers to a form of identification and belonging which subsumes local affiliations and is associated with the process of modernization (Gellner 1983). Yet, it is suggested in some quarters that processes such as globalization have weakened the ethnic and cultural bonds that underpin a nation and, hence, the notion of a nation state. If states are no longer national states, what underpins them and binds them together? The role, therefore, that nationalism and nations play in develop­ments in contemporary states is an intriguing one. Some authors have argued that nations do not have mythical continuities with ancient commu­nities. A distinction is drawn between ethnic groups, which have notions of kinship and a shared sense of history and culture, and nations, which are seen to be rational political organizations which may draw upon ethnic symbols for decorative purposes (Breuilly 1996; Hobsbawm 1990). How we conceive of nations, nationalism and ethnicity and their relationship to the state has significant implications for how we seek to analyse and under­stand the changes and challenges to which the state is subject.

Many of the preceeding chapters made reference to the arguments that the state is in decline, and contended that this was too simplistic and the developments should be seen as changes, with gains in state power and autonomy in some areas matched by declines elsewhere. There was, though, an acknowledgement of the increasing role played by international organi­zations, be they part of a putative global civil society, transnational business groups, international bodies such as the UN, IMF and WTO. It might be legitimately argued that this volume may have analysed in greater detail the relationship between such organizations and the state. We would argue that, while international organizations may be growing in importance, it is the state which, at present remains dominant. Of course, it could be argued that such a view reflects the fact we live and work within Western states and that the relationship between international organizations and developing states is a rather different one. Certainly, these remain areas for future exploration.