Everyday Nationalism in Hungary - by Alexander Maxwell (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book examines Hungarian nationalism through everyday practices that will strike most readers as things that seem an unlikely venue for national politics. Separate chapters examine nationalized tobacco, nationalized wine, nationalized moustaches, nationalized sexuality, and nationalized clothing. These practices had other economic, social or gendered meanings: moustaches were associated with manliness, wine with aristocracy, and so forth. The nationalization of everyday practices thus sheds light on how patriots imagined the nation's economic, social, and gender composition.

Nineteenth-century Hungary thus serves as the case study in the politics of "everyday nationalism." The book discusses several prominent names in Hungarian history, but in unfamiliar contexts. The book also engages with theoretical debates on nationalism, discussing several key theorists. Various chapters specifically examine how historical actors imagine relationship between the nation and the state, paying particular attention Rogers Brubaker's constructivist approach to nationalism without groups, Michael Billig's notion of 'banal nationalism, ' Carole Pateman's ideas about the nation as a 'national brotherhood', and Tara Zahra's notion of 'national indifference.'

Review Quotes

"Theoretically rigorous and analytically nuanced, Maxwell's newest release is a welcomed addition to the bookshelf of any student of Hungarian history." Christopher M. Van Demark in: Hungarian Cultural Studies, Vol 13 (2020)

"Notwithstanding, the contribution of Everyday Nationalism in Hungary to nationalism studies is unquestionable. It appeals to a far wider audience than scholars in Habsburg or East European studies and shall be consulted by anyone interested in the early phase of nationalism. Readers will appreciate the robust and hitherto largely unstudied source material, the depth of theoretical consideration, and Maxwell's entertaining prose. In particular, graduate students are encouraged to study this book because it provides a first-class template on how to select and apply relevant theoretical approaches in practice." Balint Varga in: H-Net Reviews, October 2020, https: //www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=55687 (10.11.2020)

About the Author

Alexander Maxwell, Victoria University, New Zealand