Scottish Nationalism and the Idea of Europe: Concepts of Europe and the Nation

by Ichijo; Atsuko

• ISBN13: 9780714655918
• ISBN10: 0714655910
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-08-31
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

'Independence in Europe', adopted by the Scottish National Party (SNP) as its core policy in 1988, has become part and parcel of contemporary Scottish nationalism. But is this not a contradiction in terms? Nationalistic logic dictates that one cannot demand independence while accepting the constraints that come with membership of the European Union. This book takes up that question and explores the conditions that have emerged and become integrated with Scottish society today. In this innovative study, Atsuko Ichijo argues that the idea of 'Independence in Europe' acquired coherence because of two factors: first, there are a variety of images of Europe that the people from that continent have developed over millennia; second, there is a large depository of images of Scotland that the people of Scotland have cultivated over centuries. The diversity of images available has made it possible for contemporary Scots to pick and choose the images of Scotland and Europe that reflect their aspirations and henceto create a coherent world-view. Scottish Nationalism and the Idea of Europe offers fresh insights into the 'pro-European' dimension of Scottish nationalism and its implications for the UK. The book also argues for the necessity of examining the uses of history in seeking to understand the 'new' nationalisms of contemporary Europe. This book will be of great interest to students and researchers of British political history, nationalism and contemporary European politics.

Author Biography

Atsuko Ichijo is Research Project Officer working on a European Commission-funded international research project, EURONAT, at the European Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Table of Contents

Tables	viii
Foreword by Anthony D. Smith	ix
Series Editor's Preface	xii
Acknowledgements	xiv
List of Abbreviations	xv
Introduction	1	(14)
1. The Scots and Scotland	15	(28)
2. The Emergence of the 'Scotland and Europe' Theme	43	(16)
3. The Evolution of the Idea of Europe	59	(26)
4. 'Europe is Good for Scotland': In the Eyes of the Respondents	85	(24)
5. The Uses of History: Why Europe is Good for Scotland	109	(28)
6. Scotland and Europe: An Assessment	137	(11)
Conclusion	148	(10)
Appendix I: List of Interviewees	158	(2)
Appendix II: Referenda and Election Results	160	(3)
Bibliography	163	(10)
Index	173