Postnationalism or non-nationalism[1] is the process or trend by which nation states and national identities lose their importance relative to cross-nation and self-organized or supranational and global entities as well as local entities. Although postnationalism is not strictly considered the antonym of nationalism, the two terms and their associated assumptions are antithetic as postnationalism is an internationalistic process. There are several factors that contribute to aspects of postnationalism, including economic, political, and cultural elements. Increasing globalization of economic factors (such as the expansion of international trade with raw materials, manufactured goods, and services, and the importance of multinational corporations and internationalization of financial markets) have shifted emphasis from national economies to global ones.
In the scholarly literature,[which?] postnationalism is linked to the expansion of international human rights law and norms. International human rights norms are reflected in a growing stress on the rights of individuals in terms of their "personhood," not just their citizenship. International human rights law does not recognize the right of entry to any state by non-citizens, but demands that individuals should be judged increasingly on universal criteria not particularistic criteria (such as blood descent in ethnicity, or favoring a particular sex). This has impacted citizenship and immigration law, especially in western countries. The German parliament, for example, has felt pressure to, and has diluted (if not eradicated), citizenship based on ethnic descent,[citation needed] which had caused German-born Turks, for example, to be excluded from German citizenship.[citation needed] Scholars identified with this argument include Yasemin Soysal, David Jacobson, and Saskia Sassen.[5]
In the European Union
European integration has created a system of supranational entities and is often discussed in relationship to the concept of postnationalism.[6][7][8]
In Canada
In June 2000, Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chrétien described Canada as a post-national state in a speech.[9] During the 2011 election, John Ibbitson argued that in the fading issues of the "Laurentian Consensus" were responsible for turning Canada into the first post-national state.[10] In 2015, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, while defining Canadian values, suggested his country could be considered the world’s first post-national state.[11][12]
Reaction
Writing in Macleans in 2018, Scott Gilmore felt like Canada moved past the national stage when talking about post nationalism.[13] In opposition to the perceived shift toward post-nationalism in Canada, John Weissenberger has argued that it is the Laurentian elite themselves who have "diluted the 'Laurentian' nature of the class and boosted their disdain for national character."[14] In 2024, Max Fawcett defended post nationalism against critics and has suggested that Justin Trudeau's comments was trying to build on the work of his father Pierre Elliot Trudeau.[15]
In the media
Catherine Frost, professor of political science at McMaster University, argues that while the Internet and online social relations forge social and political bonds across national borders, they do not have "the commitment or cohesiveness needed to underpin a demanding new mode of social and political relations".[16] Nonetheless, it has been argued the increasing options of obtaining virtual citizenship from established nations (e.g., E-Residency of Estonia) and micronations[17] can be seen as examples of what citizenship might look like in a post-national world.[18]
In sports
Postnational trends have been evident in professional sports. Simon Kuper called the 2008 European soccer championship (UEFA Euro 2008) "the first postnational" European Championship.[19] He argues that during the tournament both for players and fans sportsmanship and enjoyment of the event were more important than national rivalries or even winning.
^R. Koopmans and P. Statham; "Challenging the liberal nation-state? Postnationalism, multiculturalism, and the collective claims making of migrants and ethnic minorities in Britain and Germany"; American Journal of Sociology 105:652–96 (1999)
^R.A. Hackenberg and R.R. Alvarez; "Close-ups of postnationalism: Reports from the US-Mexico borderlands"; Human Organization 60:97–104 (2001)
^I. Bloemraad; "Who claims dual citizenship? The limits of postnationalism, the possibilities of transnationalism, and the persistence of traditional citizenship"; International Migration Review 38:389–426 (2004)
^Yasemin Soysal, "Limits of Citizenship:Migrants and Postnational Membership in Europe," University of Chicago Press, 1994; and David Jacobson, "Rights Across Borders: Immigration and the Decline of Citizenship", Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996
^M. Rambour; "Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on 2009-03-06. Retrieved 2008-07-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) (2005)
^J. Shaw; "Postnational constitutionalism in the European Union"; Journal of European Policy 6:579–97 (1999)
^C. Frost; "Internet galaxy meets postnational constellation: Prospects for political solidarity after the Internet"; Information Society 22:45–49 (2006)
^Keating, Joshua (2018-06-26). Invisible countries : journeys to the edge of nationhood. Nelson, Bill (Cartographer). New Haven. ISBN9780300235050. OCLC1041140240.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Simon Kuper; "Steeds Liever"; Vrij Nederland p. 24, June 28, 2008