88092 - Nationalism And Secessionalism

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Forli
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs (cod. 9247)

Learning outcomes

The course provides conceptual tools for the study of minority nationalism in a comparative perspective. Students will be able to examine secessionist dynamics in contemporary democracies and will gain knowledge of plurinational federalism.

Course contents

The course will analyze minority nationalism in contemporary democracies, focusing on secession, asymmetrical regionalism, and federalism. It provides conceptual tools to study both the development and the containing of secessionism. It will cover the following case studies: Belgium (Flanders), Canada (Quebec), United Kingdom (Scotland and Northern Ireland), Spain (Catalonia and Basque Country), Italy (Veneto and Lombardy). Moreover, the cases of Switzerland, India, and Russia will be presented as examples of plurinational federalism.

Readings/Bibliography

The bibliography is organized into two parts: the first refers to concepts and theories, the second to case studies.

I. THEORY

Belser E. M. et al. (ed.), 2015, States Falling Apart? Secessionist and Autonomy Movements in Europe, Stampfli Verlag: 1) M. Burgess, Divided We Stand: Autonomy or Secession in Federation? (pages 15-35); 2) R. Watts, Can Federal Political Systems Accommodate National Minorities? (pages 37-46); 3) G. Färber, Economic Aspects of Secessionist Movements (pages 125-133).

Buchanan A., 1998, The international institutional dimension of secession, in Percy B. Lehning (ed.), Theories of secession, Routledge, pages 227-256.

Gagnon A., 2020, Multinational federalism: challenges, shortcomings and promises, in "Regional & Federal Studies", DOI: 10.1080/13597566.2020.1781097.

Hechter M. Containing nationalism, Oxford University Press, 2000: chapter 1 (Nationalist puzzles, pages 1-17). 

Kymlicka W., 1998, Is federalism a viable alternative to secession?, in Percy B. Lehning (ed.), Theories of secession, Routledge, pages 111-150.

Requejo F. and M. Caminal Badia (eds), 2012, Federalism, Plurinationality and Democratic Constitutionalism. Theory and Cases, Routledge: chapters 1 and 5 (pages 1-13 and 108-133).

Simeon R., 2015, Is Federalism Like Snow, and Is It Exportable? Some Cautionary Notes on the Study of Federalism, in Basta K., J. McGarry and R. Simeon (eds), Territorial pluralism: managing difference in multinational states, University of British Columbia Press, pages 99-120.

II. CASE-STUDIES

1. Belgium

Deschouwer K., 2013, The Belgian Federation: a labyrinth state, In J. Loughlin, J. Kincaid e W. Swenden (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Regionalism and Federalism, Routledge, pp. 211-222.

Popelier P., 2015, Secessionist and Autonomy Movements in Flanders: The Disintegration of Belgium as the Chronicle of a Death Foretold?, in E. Belser et al. (eds.), States falling apart? Secessionist and Autonomy Movements in Europe, Stämpfi Verlag, pages 215-246.

Swenden W., 2013, Conclusion: The Future of Belgian Federalism—Between Reform and Swansong?, in "Regional & Federal Studies", Vol. 23, No.3, pp. 369-382.

2. Canada

Aronovitch H., 2006, Seceding the Canadian Way, in “Publius: The Journal of Federalism”, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 541-564. 

Iacovino R., 2012, Partial Asymmetry and Federal Construction: Accommodating Diversity in the Canadian Constitution, in M. Weller e K. Nobbs (eds.), Asymmetric Autonomy and the Settlement of Ethnic Conflicts, University of Pennsylvania Press, pp. 75-96. 

Resnick P., 2012, Canada. A Territorial or a Multinational Federation?, in F. Requejo and M. Caminal Badia (eds.), Federalism, Plurinationality and Democratic Constitutionalism. Theory and Cases, Routledge, pages 171-184.

3. United Kingdom

Frosini, J., 2016, Was It an Act of Self-Dissolution? Brexit and the Future of the United Kingdom, in “Le istituzioni del federalismo”, Special Issue on Brexit, pages 21-40.

Hepburn E., 2015, Scottish Nationalism and Independence Debates, in E. Belser et al. (eds.), States falling apart? Secessionist and Autonomy Movements in Europe, Stämpfi Verlag, pages 147-174.

McGarry J., 2012, Asymmetric Autonomy in the United Kingdom, in M. Weller e K. Nobbs (eds.), Asymmetric Autonomy and the Settlement of Ethnic Conflicts, University of Pennsylvania Press, pp. 148-179.

 4. Spain

Caminal M., 2012, The Spanish "Estado de las Autonomías": Between Nationalist Resistance and Federal Horizon, in F. Requejo and M. Caminal Badia (eds.), Federalism, Plurinationality and Democratic Constitutionalism. Theory and Cases, Routledge, pages 324-364.*

Morata F., 2013, Spain: the Autonomic State, in J. Loughlin, J. Kincaide W. Swenden (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Regionalism and Federalism, Routledge, pages 273-287.

Requejo F. and M. Sanjaume, 2015, Recognition and Political Accommodation: from Regionalism to Secessionism – The Catalan case, in J.F. Grégoire and  M. Jewkes (eds.), Recognition and redistribution in multinational federations, Leuven University press, pages 107-132.

5. Italy

Baldini G. and B. Baldi, 2014, Decentralization in Italy and the troubles of federalization, «Regional & Federal Studies», Vol. 24, No. 1, pages 87-108.

Dalle Mulle E., 2018, The nationalism of the rich, Routledge; ch. 4: “Northern Italy” pages 92-118.

Günther Pallaver, Marco Brunazzo, 2017, Italy: The Pendulum of “Federal” Regionalism in Ferdinand Karlhofer, Günther Pallaver (ed.) Federal Power-Sharing in Europe, Nomos, pp. 147-180.

6. Switzerland

Bhattacharyya H., 2007, India and Switzerland as multinational federations, in Burgess M. e J. Pinder (eds.), Multinational federations, Routledge, pages 212-224

Broschek, Jorg (2015) Pathways of Federal Reform: Australia, Canada, Germany, and Switzerland, in “Publius: TheJournal of Federalism”, Vol. 45, No.1, pp. 51-76.

Dardanelli P., 2012, Multi-lingual but mono-national: exploring and explaining Switzerland's exceptionalism, in F. Requejo e M. Caminal Badia (eds.), Federalism, Plurinationality and Democratic Constitutionalism. Theory and Cases, Routledge, pp. 295-323.*

7. India

Adeney K. and Bhattacharyya H., 2018, Current challenges
to multinational federalism in India
, in "Regional & Federal Studies", Vol. 28, No. 4, pages 409-425.

Bhattacharyya H., 2007, Federalism and competing nations in India, in Burgess M. e J. Pinder (eds), Multinational federations, Routledge, pages 50-67

Kohli, A., 2004, India: Federalism and the Accomodation of Ethnic Nationalism, in U. Amoretti e N. Bermeo (eds.), Federalism and Territorial Cleavages, The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 281-299.

8. Russia

Bowker M., 2004. Russia and Chechnya: the issue of secession, in "Nations and Nationalism", vol.10, No. 4, pp. 461-478.

Ross C., 2007, Russia’s multinational federation, in M. Burgess e J. Pinder (eds.), Multinational Federations, Rouledge, pages 108-126.

Stoner-Weiss K., 2004, Russia: Managing Territorial Cleavages under Dual Transitions, in U. Amoretti e N. Bermeo (eds.), Federalism and Territorial Cleavages, The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 301-326.

Teaching methods

Conventional teaching method. In addition, some workshops where students will be asked to discuss case studies.

Assessment methods

Grades are based on a final paper (70%) and participation in workshops and group discussion (30%). For not attending students: oral examination on all the readings of section I + three case studies (chosen by the student) among those listed in section II.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint.

Office hours

See the website of Brunetta Baldi

SDGs

Quality education Reduced inequalities Peace, justice and strong institutions

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.