culture or linguistic or ethnic identity. These demands are reinforced by the
phenomenon of economic disparities which are a necessary concomitant of
the unevenness of capitalist development. (Alavi, 1971, p. 65)Conclusion
Even if investigations are restricted to the Third World, the phenomenon with
which this chapter has been concerned is far too complex and diverse for sim-
ple generalizations of a causal nature to be arrived at. Each situation is unique
in what prompts nationalism, how central governments respond to nationalist
demands, and what further political forces are mobilized as a reaction to such
responses. There are important aspects of the subject that have hardly been
touched upon in this brief excursion, especially the internal dynamics of
separatist movements and the different organizations that make them up.
The outcomes of ethno-nationalism are affected by many factors including:
●the kind of political agenda which a nationalist movement has, whether
there is more than one, and what those agenda prescribe for the future
governance of the territory should independence be achieved;
●why nationalist movements persist despite the odds against success, and
what resources sustain them;
●the socio-economic make-up of the factions within ethnic communities
and nationalist movements that are prepared to negotiate for less than
complete separation and how these negotiations with the state authorities
are conducted;
●what diplomatic and economic relationships develop with the former ‘par-
ent’ state after independence has been achieved and how far they consti-
tute a continuation of earlier links and interdependencies between regions;
●how states attempt to manage ethnic separatism, the basis on which
minority élites are selected for collaboration and accommodation, and the
influence of such co-option on the movements involved in the struggle
for independence;
●whether the dominant cultural feature identifying a self-perceived
national group affects the structure of the nationalist movement and its
choice of strategy (how cultural identity affects political behaviour);
●the variability of nationalist movements in terms of organization, objec-
tives and strategy (including the extent to which they are prepared to
resort to violence); and
●how variations in the size, cohesiveness and mobilization of ethnic
communities can be specified and measured for comparative purposes.
218 Understanding Third World Politics