Migration and Identity in a Post-National World: (Global Ethics)

What does post-national identity mean for the control of migration? Katherine Tonkiss engages with the post-national theory of 'constitutional patriotism' and argues in favour of both post-national identity and relaxed migration controls. She explores the implications of such liberalised migration for the dynamics of identity and belonging in local communities, drawing on qualitative research on Eastern European migration to the UK. Illustrated with rich case study material, this book offers a novel contribution to the post-nationalism literature.

Table of Contents:
Introduction PART I: THEORETICAL CONCERNS 1. Nationalism and Democracy 2. Constitutional Patriotism 3. Constitutional Patriotism and Migration PART II: CASE STUDY RESEARCH: MIGRATION AND IDENTITY 4. Defending the National Interest 5. Constructing Difference 6. Towards Inclusive Citizenship

About the Author :
Katherine Tonkiss is a Research Fellow in the School of Government and Society at the University of Birmingham, UK. Her research interests include the ethics of migration control, post-national identity and belonging, democracy and participation, and the local experience of migration and diversity.

Review :
'This is an important contribution to the debate on national and post-national belonging. It contains not only a sophisticated engagement with the literature on liberal nationalism and constitutional patriotism, but also - and this is unfortunately still rare in political theory - an illuminating empirical case study. The empirical work notably strengthens the author's argument for a constitutional patriotism built from the local ground up.' - Jan-Werner Muller, Princeton University, USA 'Katherine Tonkiss pushes the constitutional patriotism discourse in a novel and important direction. Not only does she refine the theory and help us think through some potentially very important means of promoting democratic solidarity by non-national means, but she persuasively argues that a commitment to constitutional patriotism will imply a commitment to much freer movement across borders. This leads, she shows, to a seeming paradox, where a rejection of strong national identification can provoke the activation or reinforcement of the same in migrant-receiving communities. Tonkiss' book is essential reading for anyone interested in issues of citizenship, migration, national belonging, and possible non-nationalistic bonds of solidarity.' - Luis Cabrera, University of Birmingham, UK 'This book demonstrates the importance and the limits of theories of constitutional patriotism and attempts to address these limits through a highly innovative combination of normative political theory and qualitative research. All those interested in multiculturalism, nations and nationalism, the ethics of immigration need to read it.' - Varun Uberoi, Brunel University, UK