SPS605 Ethnicity and Nationalism
Syllabus | International University of Sarajevo - Last Update on Mar 03, 2026
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Social and Political Sciences
Mustafa Krupalija
Course Lecturer
Course Objectives
This course aims to interrogate some of the most recent and important theories on nation, race and ethnicity and to explore to what extent they make sense in various empirical contexts. The emphasis of the course will be on theorizing these concepts rather than producing quasi-naturalistic explanations of their emergence, success or failure. In addition, this course will discuss different perspectives on identity, race, nation and ethnicity and how they are conceptualized theoretically.
Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Course Materials
Required Textbook
Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction, 2nd ed., Umut Ozkirimli, Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.
Additional Literature
“Race”, Ethnicity and Nation: International Perspectives on Social Conflict, edited by Peter Ratcliffe, Routledge, 2003. Nationalism: Theory, Ideology, History, Anthony D. Smith, Cambridge, UK: Malden, MA: Polity, 2010. Nations and Nationalism (New Perspectives on the Past), Ernest Gellner, Cornell Univ Press., 2009. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, Benedict Anderson, London: Verso, 1991. The Question of Nationalities and Social Demoracy, Otto Bauer, Univ. of Minnesota Press, 2000. Multicultural Citizenship: A Liberal Theory of Minority Rights, Will Kymlicka, Clarendon Press, 2003. Histories of Nations: How Their Identities Were Forged, Peter Furtado, ed., Thames & Hudson Ltd., London, 2013.Teaching Methods
Lectures
Class discussions
Screenings
Written assignments
Class presentations
Debates and research paper.
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic | Readings / References |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to the course, expectations and requirements | |
| 2 | Ethnicity, Race and Nation | “Race”, Ethnicity and Nation: International Perspectives on Social Conflict |
| 3 | Ethnicity and Nation in the work of A. D. Smith | Nationalism: Theory, Ideology, History |
| 4 | Nationalism and Modernity in the Work of E. Gellner | Nations and Nationalism |
| 5 | Nations as “Imagined Communities” | Imagined Communities |
| 6 | Discourses and Debates on Nationalism | Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction |
| 7 | Primordialism, Modernism, Ethnosymbolism | Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction |
| 8 | Midterm Exam | |
| 9 | Postmodernity and Nationalism | Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction |
| 10 | Nationalism in the Third World | Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction |
| 11 | Nation-State and Multiculturalism | Multicultural Citizenship: |
| 12 | Minority Rights in Liberal Democracies | Multicultural Citizenship: |
| 13 | Identity Formation Process in Nation-States | Histories of Nations: |
| 14 | Presentation of Individual Research Projects & Discussion | Histories of Nations: |
| 15 | Review |
Course Schedule (All Sections)
| Section | Type | Day 1 | Venue 1 | Day 2 | Venue 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPS605.1 | Course | Thursday 18:00 - 20:50 | B F1.1 FBA Graduate Seminar Room | - | - |
Office Hours & Room
| Day | Time | Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 12:00 - 15:00 | A F1.9 | |
| Friday | 13:00 - 14:00 | A F1.9 |
Assessment Methods and Criteria
Assessment Components
Final Research Paper
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 4 5
Midterm Exam
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 4 5
Participation
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 4 5
Reflection Paper
AI: Not AllowedAlignment with Learning Outcomes : 1 2 3 4 5
IUS Grading System
| Grading Scale | IUS Grading System | IUS Coeff. | Letter (B&H) | Numerical (B&H) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 44 | F | 0 | F | 5 |
| 45 - 54 | E | 1 | ||
| 55 - 64 | C | 2 | E | 6 |
| 65 - 69 | C+ | 2.3 | D | 7 |
| 70 -74 | B- | 2.7 | ||
| 75 - 79 | B | 3 | C | 8 |
| 80 - 84 | B+ | 3.3 | ||
| 85 - 94 | A- | 3.7 | B | 9 |
| 95 - 100 | A | 4 | A | 10 |
Late Work Policy
Information about late submission policies will be shared during class and posted in this section. Please check back for official guidelines.
ECTS Credit Calculation
📚 Student Workload
This 6 ECTS credit course corresponds to 150 hours of total student workload, distributed as follows:
Lecture Hours
45 hours ⏳ (15 week × 3 h)
Midterm Exam
10 hours ⏳ (1 week × 10 h)
Home Study
45 hours ⏳ (15 week × 3 h)
Reflection Paper
30 hours ⏳ (10 week × 3 h)
Final Research Paper
20 hours ⏳ (1 week × 20 h)
150 Total Workload Hours
6 ECTS Credits
Course Policies
Academic Integrity
All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action according to university policies. When in doubt about citation practices, consult the instructor.
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to adhere to the attendance requirements as outlined in the International University of Sarajevo Study Rules and Regulations. Excessive absences, whether excused or unexcused, may impact academic performance and eligibility for assessment. Mandatory sessions (e.g., labs, workshops) require attendance unless formally exempted. For detailed policies on absences, documentation, and penalties, please refer to the official university regulations.
Technology & AI Policy
Laptops/tablets may be used for note-taking only during lectures. Phones should be silenced and put away during all class sessions. Audio/video recording requires prior permission from the instructor.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage: The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini) varies by assessment component. Please refer to the AI usage indicator next to each assessment item in the Assessment Methods and Criteria section above. Submitting AI-generated content as your own work, where AI is not explicitly allowed, constitutes an academic integrity violation.
Communication Policy
All course-related communication should occur through official university channels (institutional email or SIS). Emails should include [SPS605] in the subject line.
Academic Quality Assurance Policy
Course Academic Quality Assurance is achieved through Semester Student Survey. At the end of each academic year, the institution of higher education is obliged to evaluate work of the academic staff, or the success of realization of the curricula.
Learning Tips
Be prepared to contribute thoughtfully during class discussions, labs, or collaborative work. Active participation deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking.
Complete assigned readings or prep materials before class. Take notes, highlight key ideas, and jot down questions. Aim to grasp core concepts and their applications—not just facts.
Use course frameworks or methodologies to analyze problems, case studies, or projects. Begin early to allow time for reflection and refinement. Seek feedback to improve your work.
Don’t hesitate to reach out when something is unclear. Use office hours, discussion boards, or peer networks to clarify concepts and stay on track.
Syllabus Last Updated on Mar 03, 2026 | International University of Sarajevo
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Referencing Curricula Print this page
| Course Code | Course Title | Weekly Hours* | ECTS | Weekly Class Schedule | ||||||
| T | P | |||||||||
| SPS605 | Ethnicity and Nationalism | 3 | 0 | 6 | ||||||
| Prerequisite | None | It is a prerequisite to | - | |||||||
| Lecturer | Mustafa Krupalija | Office Hours / Room / Phone | Tuesday: 12:00-15:00 Friday: 13:00-14:00 |
|||||||
| mkrupalija@ius.edu.ba | ||||||||||
| Assistant | Assistant E-mail | |||||||||
| Course Objectives | This course aims to interrogate some of the most recent and important theories on nation, race and ethnicity and to explore to what extent they make sense in various empirical contexts. The emphasis of the course will be on theorizing these concepts rather than producing quasi-naturalistic explanations of their emergence, success or failure. In addition, this course will discuss different perspectives on identity, race, nation and ethnicity and how they are conceptualized theoretically. | |||||||||
| Textbook | Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction, 2nd ed., Umut Ozkirimli, Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. | |||||||||
| Additional Literature |
|
|||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | After successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: | |||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Teaching Methods | Lectures, class discussions, screenings, written assignments, class presentations, debates and research paper. | |||||||||
| Teaching Method Delivery | Face-to-face | Teaching Method Delivery Notes | ||||||||
| WEEK | TOPIC | REFERENCE | ||||||||
| Week 1 | Introduction to the course, expectations and requirements | |||||||||
| Week 2 | Ethnicity, Race and Nation | “Race”, Ethnicity and Nation: International Perspectives on Social Conflict | ||||||||
| Week 3 | Ethnicity and Nation in the work of A. D. Smith | Nationalism: Theory, Ideology, History | ||||||||
| Week 4 | Nationalism and Modernity in the Work of E. Gellner | Nations and Nationalism | ||||||||
| Week 5 | Nations as “Imagined Communities” | Imagined Communities | ||||||||
| Week 6 | Discourses and Debates on Nationalism | Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction | ||||||||
| Week 7 | Primordialism, Modernism, Ethnosymbolism | Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction | ||||||||
| Week 8 | Midterm Exam | |||||||||
| Week 9 | Postmodernity and Nationalism | Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction | ||||||||
| Week 10 | Nationalism in the Third World | Theories of Nationalism: A Critical Introduction | ||||||||
| Week 11 | Nation-State and Multiculturalism | Multicultural Citizenship: | ||||||||
| Week 12 | Minority Rights in Liberal Democracies | Multicultural Citizenship: | ||||||||
| Week 13 | Identity Formation Process in Nation-States | Histories of Nations: | ||||||||
| Week 14 | Presentation of Individual Research Projects & Discussion | Histories of Nations: | ||||||||
| Week 15 | Review | |||||||||
| Assessment Methods and Criteria | Evaluation Tool | Quantity | Weight | Alignment with LOs | AI Usage |
| Final Research Paper | 1 | 40 | 1,2,3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| Semester Evaluation Components | |||||
| Midterm Exam | 1 | 20 | 1,2,3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| Participation | 10 | 20 | 1,2,3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| Reflection Paper | 10 | 20 | 1,2,3,4,5 | Not Allowed | |
| *** ECTS Credit Calculation *** | |||||
| Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | Activity | Hours | Weeks | Student Workload Hours | |||
| Lecture Hours | 3 | 15 | 45 | Midterm Exam | 10 | 1 | 10 | |||
| Home Study | 3 | 15 | 45 | Reflection Paper | 3 | 10 | 30 | |||
| Final Research Paper | 20 | 1 | 20 | |||||||
| Total Workload Hours = | 150 | |||||||||
| *T= Teaching, P= Practice | ECTS Credit = | 6 | ||||||||
| Course Academic Quality Assurance: Semester Student Survey | Last Update Date: 11/03/2026 | |||||||||