Nations as Zones of Conflict, Nations as Zones of Selection: A Darwinian Social Evolutionary Engagement with John Hutchinson's ‘Culture Wars’

Kerr, W (2019) Nations as Zones of Conflict, Nations as Zones of Selection: A Darwinian Social Evolutionary Engagement with John Hutchinson's ‘Culture Wars’. Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism, 19 (2). pp. 170-186. ISSN 1473-8481

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Abstract

This paper explores the use of Darwinian social evolutionary theory towards understanding the formation of nations through a specific engagement with John Hutchinson's Nations as Zones of Conflict, particularly the idea of ‘culture wars’. After outlining Hutchinson's framework and the principles of Darwinian social evolutionary theory – namely, the key concepts of inheritance, variation, and selection within an environmental context – I make a case for Darwinian concepts being able to support and expand on Hutchinson's ethno-symbolic approach. I argue that Darwinian social evolutionary theory offers a powerful explanation for why particular myths, symbols, traditions, and memories endure and are revived and revitalized in nationalist contexts. The development of nationalism in Meiji Japan is used as an example to explore these ideas.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Kerr, W. (2019) Nations as Zones of Conflict, Nations as Zones of Selection: A Darwinian Social Evolutionary Engagement with John Hutchinson's ‘Culture Wars’. Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism, 19, 170–186. https://doi.org/10.1111/sena.12302., which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/sena.12302. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	4408 Political Science; 44 Human Society; 1601 Anthropology; 1801 Law; 4408 Political science
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions:	Humanities and Social Science
Publisher:	Wiley
Date of acceptance:	12 May 2019
Date of first compliant Open Access:	12 May 2025
Date Deposited:	12 May 2025 12:38
Last Modified:	12 May 2025 12:45
DOI or ID number:	10.1111/sena.12302
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/26342

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