Neo-nationalism in Europe and Beyond—Perspectives from Social Anthropology

Prompted in part by the near-simultaneous rise of far-right parliamentary neo-nationalist parties in Europe, editors Gingrich (social anthropology, U. of Vienna, Austria), Banks (visual anthropology, U. of Oxford, UK), and their contributors undertook to analyze these movements through an anthropological lens that focuses on questions of historical consciousness, ideologies of identity, globalization, and the symbolism of nationalism. After a pair of chapters address theoretical and methodological concerns, case studies of neo-nationalist movements in Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Italy, and France are presented. These are followed by more general discussions of European neo-nationalism and a pair of comparative chapters discussing India's Hindu-identity Bharatiya Janata Party and new rightists in Australia. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Andre Gingrich is Full Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Vienna. Recent publications include Anthropology, by Comparison (co-edited with Richard G. Fox, 2002) and One Discipline, Four Ways: British, German, French, and American Anthropology: The Halle lectures (co-authored with Frederik Barth, Robert Parkin and Sydel Silverman, University of Chicago Press, forthcoming).