For me, British means ‘mainly English' ... The Union Jack is not my flag. Bulldogs, the last night of the proms with ‘Pomp and Circumstance' and all that sort of thing are English and mean nothing to me ... I am never British, always Scottish. (Katrina Dunbar, student) 1

Q: Why are the Scots the most balanced race in the world?
A: Because they have a chip on each shoulder. (Traditional joke)

Section One: Introduction

The notion of ‘Scottishness' has been the subject of debate for centuries, none more so than amongst Scottish people themselves. In this dissertation I will attempt to uncover exactly how Scottish national identity, or ‘Scottishness', may be defined at present, and in particular what effects contemporary global society is having on Scotland's national identity. On the journey towards this I will take in many diverse aspects of Scottish culture, including politics, religion and football. I will consider some traditional theories of national identity and nationalism, as well as more recent sociological explanations specifically related to Scotland. In conclusion I shall consider how Scottish national identity is currently developing in two opposite, yet not contradictory, directions; one towards self-determination and independence; the other towards a more pan-European identity. Obviously, any examination of Scottish nationalism must include the Scottish National Party (SNP), the advent of devolution and the forthcoming Scottish Assembly, but as this dissertation is taking a wider cultural view, beyond conventional politics, I will avoid focusing too heavily on the purely parliamentary aspects of Scottish identity.

There are two major aims of this dissertation, the first of which is to illustrate the pluralism of separate conflicting identities within Scottish society, and to show how it has been possible to reconcile these conflicting identities into a national identity. The second aim is to discuss how the contemporary global era has affected this national identity. In order to achieve these aims, this dissertation will be divided into four sections, inclusive of this introduction. Section two will be concerned with the ‘different' Scotlands that exist, or at least the differing perspectives of it's identity. In this section various binary opposites will be discussed, as I feel an understanding of the fractured microstructure of Scotland is essential to understand the apparently culturally consistent macrostructure. I will also use these opposites to illustrate the pluralism of identities in Scotland. The third section will focus primarily on the different manifestations and mechanisms of Scottish national identity. In this section I shall consider the importance of the SNP, as well as the more fundamentalist nationalists, and in particular, the impact of European and global influences upon these groups. Section four will constitute the conclusion, and this will draw in examples and evidence from the rest of the dissertation to support the view that both conflicting and complimentary identities within Scotland have led to a pluralistic notion of Scottish national identity, and how global influences have resulted in a changing perspective regarding nationalism and supra-nationalism.

Before embarking upon any further discussion, it is necessary to clearly define the terms of this dissertation. ‘Pluralism' is often associated with American social scientists, and refers to a ‘plurality' of groups, as opposed to singularity. Traditionally used to analyse interest groups, the definition has been extended, enabling a wider application of the theory. Kliot and Waterman arrive at the definition of pluralism as

a state of society in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious or social groups maintain an autonomous participation in and development of their traditional culture or special interest within the confines of a common civilisation. 2

It is clear that my discussion on the plurality of identities takes place within the confines of Scotland as a ‘common civilisation'. I shall ignore the ‘elite' theories of American origin, stating the precedence of some groups over others, as I feel this is of little significance in this context. In section two, I shall put forward the argument that Scottish national identity is in fact formed by the plurality of its internal and sometimes conflicting identities. 3

The ‘contemporary global era' of the title is a conscious effort to avoid any time-consuming debate on the state of modernity, or even post-modernity. Rather, the assumption I shall subscribe to is that over recent decades advances in technology and communications, as well as international relations, have resulted in a ‘global era'. The effects of this global era on Scotland will be discussed in section three, and returned to in the concluding section, where I shall consider how national identity is being polarised in both national and supra-national directions.