Max Burrows
Scope: I want to observe how nationalism is used to affect international relations between Russia and the United States post World War II. Nationalism is ingrained in every culture, regardless of location. It is the pride in people about their country, or culture created around it. Examining the way nationalism affects the foreign policies of countries such as the United States and Russia is one area of focus of this study. The other being the repercussions both the US and Russia face when creating an international policy based on nationalism. I will be examining a variety of books and journal articles an US, and Russian foreign policy in relation to each other and the struggle for power and “dominance” over the other. This will help solidify my topic while defining the important factors of my topic of study.
Value: Nationalism has existed since the formation of nations, with the United States and Russia being two of the major superpowers. Living in the age of information, it is vital to identify potential dangers of nationalism and ask questions. Can nationalism spark conflict between countries or cultures? How does nationalism affect the decisions of the countries leaders? Do governments utilize nationalism for independent gain? Observing nationalism through the lens of international relations grants a new perspective on why this issue is so interesting.
Originality: Nationalism in the United States and Russia has been a power struggle since the end of World War II. The Journal article WHEN EMPIRE MEETS NATIONALISM. POWER POLITICS IN THE US AND RUSSIA describes the nationalist groups that shape the foreign policy of Russia and the United states. The article examines the differences between different nationalistic groups and their political objectives. Another journal article Immigration Phobia and the Security Dilemma: Russia, Europe, and the United States again illustrates the reluctance by both Russians and Americans to welcome immigrants into their countries. The scrutiny they experience as immigrants is interesting because it again highlights the defined cultures of the United States and Russia. This sense of identity and nationalism is important to examine when viewing Russian and American foreign policy. The Russians and Americans regard each other with a sense of distrust encouraged by their respective governments through different types of media.
Practicality: Nationalism and international relations between the United States and Russia are heavily researched. There is enough evidence for an argument to be constructed analyzing the affects of nationalism and how it will change the twenty first century. Many books and journals are published about nationalism and the effects it has on both countries and their populaces. Meanwhile, foreign policy has been a heavily discussed topic in the twenty first century and there is lots of information on the subject. I will use secondary sources mainly, and primary sources if the topic requires a first hand account to support the argument. There are many secondary sources in the library on nationalism in the US and Russia, and many more on their foreign policy post World War II. Dickinson’s databases also provide lots of information, which will expand the range of my research.
Bibliography
Greenfeld, Liah. “The Globalization of Nationalism and the Future of the Nation-State.” International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society 24, no. 1-2 (06, 2011): 5-9.
Neier, Aryeh. “America’s New Nationalism.” Social Research 71, no. 4 (Winter, 2004):
Marten, Kimberly. “Immigration Phobia and the Security Dilemma: Russia, Europe, and the United States.” Political Science Quarterly 121, no. 4 (06, 2007): 706-707. http:// search.proquest.com/docview/208281762?accountid=10506.
Telò, Mario. Globalisation, Multilateralism, Europe: Towards a Better Global Governance? Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2014.
Lussac, Samuel. “WHEN EMPIRE MEETS NATIONALISM. POWER POLITICS IN THE US AND RUSSIA.” Caucasian Review of International Affairs 4, no. 1 (Winter, 2010): 99-100. http://search.proquest.com/docview/210955266?accountid=10506.
Max- This is a huge topic, so it’s great that you are narrowing your scope specifically on nationalism and the relations between Russia and the United States. One thing I would consider is stressing why is this relationship between these two countries of the greatest importance. However said, this topic is very relevant to the present so it seems like you will be able to find a lot of info and sources
Max,
While reading this I was curious about how long after WW2 you are willing to research about. If you are planning on having your arugument up until present day, I worry that it may be too much information to digest and fit into this paper. That being said, this topic is much different than any other that I have reviewed I am interested to see where this paper leads.
Max, I really like this topic and you did a great job of being specific narrowing it down to Russia and China. In your proposal I would be interested in seeing what your definition of nationalism is. You discuss viewing nationalism through the lens of international relations. I think it would be interesting if you could use the different lens of international relations like realism, liberalism, constructivism, neo marxism etc. Nationalism is all about identity and cultural norms, which is exactly what the constructivism paradigm is all about. Some maybe to add onto your originality section you can talk about the specific international relations paradigm(s) you will be using. Overall you have great ideas, keep it up!
Max- This is a very interesting topic and I feel like you’ll find a lot of information, especially since the media is constantly examining the relationship between the United States and Russia. Your question, “How does nationalism affect the decisions of the countries leaders?” will be interesting to research and I’m sure you’ll be surprised by your results. This question is very relevant because nationalism has a strong pull on political leaders mindsets.