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What Does a Small Nation Know? Armenians and the Wages of Nationalism

Nations are imagined but in different styles. In the 20th century Armenians have imagined their nation in conflicting ways, as territorial, diasporic, independent, Soviet, ethnonational, cosmopolitan, and even imperial. Many believe that without a strong, coherent, and united sense of nation, a nation can disappear and knows it (to paraphrase Milan Kundera). Others have argued that it is precisely in the divided sense of nation, the ongoing dialogue about what constitutes the nation, that Armenia is most vital and least likely to be forced to subscribe to the imperatives set by nationalists posing as patriots.

Professor Ronald Grigor Suny explores the benefits and the wages of nationalism, its costs to a small nation, and how it has contributed to the tragic moment the country faces today.

Dr. Sossie Kasbarian of the University of Stirling, Scotland will serve as the discussant for this lecture, followed by Q&A.

Feb 12, 2021 11:00 AM in Pacific Time (US and Canada)