Homogeneity, Mercurian Minorities, and Ethnic Cleansing
A Critical Review of a Gellnerian Ideal Type
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46661/revintpensampolit.12430Keywords:
Ernest Gellner, cultural homogenization, nationalism, ethnic cleansing, diasporas, Armenian genocideAbstract
This article critically examines Ernest Gellner’s theoretical framework on cultural homogenization as a structural feature of modern nationalism. Drawing on the concept of mercurian minorities, it analyses how certain diasporic populations, associated with intermediary functions and possessing limited territorial bases, become prime targets of violent homogenization policies. The article tests this framework through the Armenian case, exploring the relationship between modernization, nationalism, and ethnic cleansing. It argues for the need to incorporate geopolitical and ideological dimensions in order to better understand the exclusion of minority groups within broader processes of nation-building and political transformation.
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