Essay/Term paper: Understanding of scottish society

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Miscellaneous

Abstract



The concept of a nation state has only

emerged over the last couple of

centuries, before this point less

advanced and coherent states

managed the affairs of the populous.

The nation state is the overlapping of

two separate features. The nation is the

identity that individuals relate to within

the society. This can exist on its own, as

all that is needed is a person to feel that

they have a connection with others on no

more than shared belonging. The state

is used to take national feelings of

loyalty and use them to effectively

govern peoples lives. The state almost

like a governmental overlay for a

national identity to operate within.

Scotland can be seen in this light

because it is a fine example of what

nationhood looks like, without the

apparatus of the state to cloud the

picture. Scotland has this dual identity of

Scottish nation within the confines of a

British state.



In answering this question it is necessary to

investigate the origins of modern nation states.

Firstly examining what the term 'Nation State'

means by breaking it down into its two parts. Lastly I

will examine how accurate a term the 'Nation State'

is when applied to Scottish Society.



The 'Nation State' is a recent phenomena, with most

of human history being founded on stateless

societies. These stateless societies refer to the

tribal and clan systems that existed across the

globe, before the emergence of larger societies

such as Empires and Kingdoms. These societies

were able to function as they were relatively small.

The whole or at least a large part of the community

could be involved in any decision that need to be

made, although because of their size complex

decision making processes were needed. With the

increase of population and the subsequent

competition for limited resources, systems started

to emerge that could handle the new demands.

Economies started to produce more than what was

required by the community, so the surplus was trade

with neighbouring communities. This process also

created the need for higher authority to govern the

transactions between the communities. These

embryonic communities developed into what can be

described as traditional states, with a sovereign

leader such as a King or Emperor who ruled

absolutely. They could do this because they held the

reins of the states military forces. In Max Weber's

view this was the critical component of any state.

For a state to be legitimate it must have a monopoly

of the use of violence within the confines of its own

territory. However usually this was only a last resort

and the ordinary people were quite unaware of the

state developing around them. A limited form of

government would emerge to ensure that the Head

of the State could rule effectively. Up until the

Industrial Revolution this was the most common

form of state in Europe. Since the industrial

revolution the demands of modern society and its

increasing skilled populous has meant that

traditional states have been swept away. Nation

States now cover the surface of the world and with

few exceptions all the world's population can claim

to be a citizen of a nation state.



The Nation State is a combination of two different

terms, a nation or a state can exist quite

independent of each other. The nation consists of a

community that shares common language, values

and customs. The nation can be broken down into

four parts. The narrative is were the customs and

stories of the nation are kept alive, by people

retelling them to the next generation and also by

reinventing them so as they take on new relevance

to the people. People consider the nation to be a

ancient symbol that keep's them in touch with their

past and previous generations. This connection

gives people a sense of belonging that all people

seek in their lives. The ancient aspect of nations

can be overplayed as many are of a quite recent

origin. This last point is important as historical

accuracy is not always of the highest priority when

the myth of a nation is being retold. In fact

sometimes the tradition can be of pure invention,

but if it serves the purpose of creating identity for

the people then it will survive and flourish. The

Victorian invention of tartan in Scotland is perfect

example of this fabricated history suiting the needs

of a alienated populous. Lastly the purity of the race

is often cited as a requirement for membership of a

nation. This purity often takes the shape of

possessing certain physical and mental

requirements such as all Swedish people are tall,

blond and blue eyed or that Black people can not be

identified as being British because of their colour.

Again this point is open to debate as all nations are

a mixture of different cultures and races. However

this purity is something that people strongly identify

with.



The concept of a state can be viewed as the

infrastructure that is needed to run a society

effectively. This is characterised by the creation of

three different elements, a political apparatus,

territory and laws. The state needed a separate

political apparatus from the general community that

can govern the subjects or citizens. This will include

the setting up of decision making process that are

usually quite remote form the ordinary subject. A

state must have a defined territory which its claims

to rule. Over time these boundaries can be

amended due to the process of expansion or

invasion with neighbouring states. Lastly there

needs to be some form of legal system that can

uphold the laws of the land and give legitimacy to its

rulers. This institution also means that any laws

which have not been upheld can be legally enforced

by the use of the military or police force.



Europe has for the last couple of centuries been

developing the concept of nation states. This has

also occurred across the rest of the globe over the

period of the twenty century. These nation states

contain all the characteristics of a state, but contain

three more distinct characteristics, sovereignty,

citizenship and nationalism. The old forms of state

found it hard to centralise power effectively and

therefore could not really use the absolute power

that sovereignty entitled them to. Sovereignty could

be more easily exerted by the state over its

population in these new states, because they had

better defined territories, more effective central

government and a improved social infrastructures.

All this allowed people, information and goods to

travel throughout the society a lot more effectively.

Traditional states operated at a level were only a

few of the populous held the states power and in

fact most of the people cared little about the state.

Nation states population are all citizens, which

means they have all got common rights and duties

towards the state. This change to two way process

of state membership means that people better

identify with their citizenship of the nation state. The

rise of nationalism and adoption of national symbols

create a stronger bond between the people and the

state. The sense of national identity promotes unity

within the community.



Scotland as a nation has been evident since the

Romans invaded Britain in the first century AD The

population has changed much since its Celts

origins with invasion and immigration playing apart

in changing the character of the people. Before the

Act of Union in 1707 Scotland existed as an

independent state with all the hallmarks of a

traditional state. However because of the Union of

the Crowns in 1603, Scotland had shared its

monarchy with its English neighbour. The Act of

Union dissolved the Scottish Parliament in

Edinburgh and transfer all political control, with

representation to the Parliament in London.

Scotland still retained some of the institutions that it

held when it was a independent state, the Education

system, Legal system and the Presbyterian Church.

Since the Union these three institutions have kept

alive the separate identity of the Scottish Nation

within the British State. Political power has been

partially transferred back to Scotland in the shape of

the Scottish office which has since the 1890's

exercised power over Scotland. Recently the

debate of some form devolved Parliament being set

up in Edinburgh to further enfranchise the Scottish

nation has more relevance as the recently elected

British Labour Party have this as a policy.



Scotland can be seen to have all the characteristics

of a nation with institutions such as the education

system which perpetuates the Scottish culture or at

least a Scottish slant on modern society to future

generations. The Church in Scotland can also be

seen to have done this task as it has remained

separate and distinct from its English cousin.

Scotland has clearly defined boundaries but in

reference to a state is divorced from being

sovereign within its own territory. With over three

hundred years of economic and social integration

with its more powerful neighbour England, it is

amazing that Scottish culture has managed to

survive to the extent that it has. When states are

usually absorbed the dominant culture can be seen

to be eradicate the weaker culture. To a large extent

this can be seen to have happened with Old 'Scots'

language almost extinct and Gaelic only being

spoken by a small minority of modern day Scots.

Much of Scotland's icons and symbols bear little

resemblance to the Scotland of pre-1707, but these

same items do bear a relation to what modern day

people feel it is to be Scottish. Pipe bands, tartan

scarves, kilts and rolling glens all existed in the past,

but have been used by modern Scotland to create a

separate identity of its own within the larger British

state. Not all of the changes that have happened

within the British state have harmed Scottish

interests. Since the Union Scotland has enjoyed

much better economic fortunes that it could have

ever hoped for as small independent European

state. Scotland of 1707 and of 1997 are two very

politically different countries, with less than one

percentage of the population holding a voting

franchise in 1707, today this includes nearly all the

adult population. State apparatus can be created

against the back drop of no nation like in Yugoslavia

and many of the post colonial African state. This

means because Scotland has strong sense of

nation, it could become a nation state



In conclusion Scotland is a nation that is submerged

within a host state. Although this host state does not

directly damage Scottish interests or discriminate

against its citizens, ultimate power of government

lies in a foreign lands. The state apparatus holds

this power and as is the case with any nation the

uneven relationship between nationhood and self

determinism will always grate on the general will of

the people. The British Empire which Scotland

benefited from has left in its wake a country that has

enjoyed influence beyond its size, but now must like

the rest of Britain carve out a new identity for itself.

The case of a Scottish nation is not in question as it

is evident that a separate identity and culture does

live and thrive north of the border. The question is

how can this difference be managed within a larger

structure without the disintegration of the larger

state or is this inevitable.







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