Some studies have emphasised the role of modernity and/or the emergence of the state in the occurrence of nationalism. These perspectives have underemphasised the motivations and rationales of individuals who claim to act on behalf of the nation. Over-reliance on state-based accounts of nationalism contributes to a broader failure to explain or predict specific and definable moments of popular nationalist mobilisation. This article seeks to redress this imbalance by suggesting that a combination of ethno-symbolist approaches to nationalism with theoretical explanations of mobilisation and contentious politics refocuses attention back on to content rather than structural factors. It will be argued here that national ‘repertoires’ of myths, memories and symbols serve as collectively defined but individually understood factors for nationalist mobilisation. The article will conclude by suggesting potential mechanisms which explain how ‘popular resonance’ translates the ‘imagined community’ of the nation into tangible bases for political action.
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