This article challenges a set of common assumptions and misconceptions about nationD iscussions on nationalism and globalization frequently rely on an oversimplified opposition of these processes that fails to appreciate their complex interdependence. This introductory essay aims to challenge this assumption and several others as a way of setting the stage for a wide-ranging analysis of nationalism.Nationalism theorists have tended to divide into two camps: those who emphasize its deep historical roots in various formations of ethnicity and polity, and those who see it primarily as a modern phenomenon, linked to the rise of mass politics, industrialization, and democratization.1 If one accepts that nationalism is, at its base, the contemporary expression of pre-modern sentiments and identities, then it follows that it will be at odds with modern processes, including globalization. However, if one views it as an aspect of modernity itself, then this opposition becomes less plausible.My first assertion is that while we can always find pre-modern factors feeding into the formation of nations, modern nationalism is a sufficiently distinctive phenomenon to deserve its own conceptualization. Although social groups that share overarching collective identities and make claims to rule themselves in particular territories have existed for millennia, modern nationalism adds two critical further ingredients. First, the spread of literacy and mass forms of communication have greatly extended and accelerated ideological processes.2 Second, the belief that political legitimacy comes from below-from Jonathan Hearn is a professor in the school of social and political science at the University of Edinburgh, where he has taught since 1998. He earned his PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the City University of New York. Hearn's research focuses on issues of nationalism and national identity, theories of social power, and the origins and nature of liberal society.