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Benedict AndersonA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
256
Book • Nonfiction
Global • 20th Century
1983
Adult
18+ years
Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson explores the rise of nationalism and the modern nation-state as a social construct that fosters a sense of community among people who may never meet. It traces the historical transformations—such as the decline of Latin, the advancement of print-capitalism, and the emergence of vernacular languages—that facilitated national consciousness from the late eighteenth century onward.
Informative
Contemplative
Mysterious
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Benedict Anderson's Imagined Communities receives widespread acclaim for its insightful exploration of nationalism's origins and the concept of nations as socially constructed communities. Praised for its rigorous research, some critics find its theoretical complexity challenging. Overall, it is a foundational text in understanding modern national identities.
Readers who would relish Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson are typically interested in political science, history, and sociology. Fans of Ernest Gellner's Nations and Nationalism or Eric Hobsbawm's The Invention of Tradition will appreciate Anderson's insightful analysis on the origins and spread of nationalism.
15,972 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
256
Book • Nonfiction
Global • 20th Century
1983
Adult
18+ years
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