This research project ran from 2013 through 2017, investigating the role of ethnic and religious diversity in contemporary European nation building. National identity is not a fixed entity, and through the parallel processes of globalization, immigration and secularization, traditional notions of national identity are under pressure. NATION sought to understand these issues by exploring how nationhood is negotiated in three European countries: Norway, France, and the United Kingdom.
The increased ethnic and religious diversity within these countries' populations is seen to challenge the boundaries of national identity in particular ways. Some aspects of diversity are seen as acceptable, while others are defined as 'problematic' for national identity. In current debates on nationhood, the discourses of religion and ethnicity are intertwined. The changing social role of religion has implications for the negotiation of the nation. While looking at the interaction between religion and ethnicity in nationhood contestations, NATION investigated these two issues in parallel.
Findings from the research can be found in a project summary report published n 2017:
NATION Report Cover.jpg
[](https://www.prio.org/publications/10782)
