The phenomenon of national mobilization: clarifying the concept

Introduction. The academic literature lacks a thoroughly developed concept of national mobilization. Conceptualization of this phenomenon is complicated by two extremes: in the first case, mobilization is interpreted as a social process or factor devoid of political subjectivity; in the second case, mobilization refers only to the behavior of political actors in specific (critical) and temporary situations such as elections, wars, disasters, etc. Both interpretations result in an underestimation of the fact that national mobilization is rather a mode of national identity formation and existence, than only its activation and demonstration. Aims. The paper is to propose a detailed concept of national mobilization based on a critical analysis of approaches and concepts related to this phenomenon. Methods. A critical analysis of the nation and mobilization concepts in the framework of the constructivist paradigm. Results. National mobilization should be understood as a purposeful activity (first of all, by the nationalist-minded activists) of organizing a variety of resources (primarily the symbolic ones) with the aim of involving individuals and groups into mass actions and campaigns, during which the identification of people with a national community is formed, as well as the collective identity of the nation itself is constructed on the basis of the existing affiliations network, imaginary national "enemy" and the promoted concept of nation as the goal of movement. Conclusion. The constructivist idea of mobilization as a way of the nation’s formation and existence, gives rise to a fundamental possibility of a successful nation-building, namely not only in industrialized European countries which are culturally homogenized by "printed capitalism", but also in agricultural (traditional) polities which are often acting as segments of plural societies and filling in the lack of "huge readership" with systematic and mass propaganda of ethno-cultural symbols.