Author: Azimov, Habibulloxon Yakubovich; Sobirova, Moxichexra Abduxalil qizi

Annotation: This article aims to conduct a comparative analysis of nationalism theories based on the views of Ernest Gellner, Eric Hobsbawm, and Anthony D. Smith. Gellner interprets nationalism as a necessity of modern industrial society, describing nations and nationalism as artificial social constructs. Eric Hobsbawm on the other hand, interprets nationalism as a political construct and evaluates it as a result of historical and political processes. Meanwhile, Smith explains nations through historical and cultural continuity and views nationalism as a phenomenon rooted in ancient ethnic communities. The study compares the modernist approaches of Gellner and Hobsbawm, and contrasts them with Smith’s primordialist and perennialist perspectives, identifying how nationalism emerges across various social and political contexts. The analysis concludes that these theories complement one another in explaining nationalism in relation to modern societies and historical processes. This research is intended to offer a comprehensive examination of nationalism as not only a political but also a cultural and social phenomenon.

Keywords: Theories of nationalism, modern industrial society, historical and cultural identity, social construct, formation of nation-state.

Pages in journal: 577 - 582