The state's response to the Catalan question : an emerging ethnic component in contemporary Spanish nationalism?

Abstract

The paper is divided into three parts. First, I present a critical approach to Kohn¿s distinction between civic and ethnic nationalism where I also emphasize the competitive character of nationalism. Second, I present the different conceptions of Spain and Catalonia held by contemporary Spanish and Catalan nationalism, particularly since the Catalan parliament started the process to reform the Charter of Autonomy of 1979. Third, I present a range of responses from Spanish nationalism in this period, where some elements can be interpreted as a modern version of ethnicity.