Scottish Nationalism Affect The Geography Of Western Europe

Being, or identifying as, Scottish is important to me because I have great respect for those who came before me, and I rejoice in their achievements and triumphs and am saddened by their trials and disappointments. For this reason, I feel it is important to retain the knowledge of the culture from which they came. While I’m proud to be an American, I don’t think that this means I should have to let go of the traditions and history of my family, so I endeavor to keep it alive through study.

Both the Scottish Parliament and Visit Scotland show two different images of modern Scotland. The parliament appeals to the Scottish people and try to improve the Scottish economy. Visit Scotland directed at tourists and is rather stereotypical. They do not convey a true image of modern Scotland. They are trying to appeal to two different audiences but they are making mistakes and this is causing Scotland to suffer. Throughout this essay is going to contemplate and examine how both the Scottish Parliament and Visit Scotland have a direct and significant impact on how the image of modern day Scotland is portrayed.

I will discuss the history and ground level information of Scotland and Wales, representing how this trifling nation has molded the world and others who live in it. I will also discuss important material about the statistics of the country and the distinction between the ethnocentrism in British and American ways of life. I will also discuss how the United States and Scotland both partake in many cultural ideas and traditions, But like every culture and nation they are different and share plenty of alterations.

Currently Scotland has its own parliament in Edinburgh which can deal with chosen devolved issues from Westminster. Originating mainly from the YES YES campaign in 1999 headed by the Labour Government. This means that Scotland has control over

On September 14th, 2014, the people of Scotland had the chance ‘of a lifetime’ to vote on whether they wanted Scotland to be an independent country or to stay part of the United Kingdom. As the ballot papers were being counted, thousands stayed up late waiting nervously to see the outcome. The Scots voted against being separated from the union and soon after it caused riots in Glasgow’s city center. To this day, Scotland hasn’t been the same, and the once friendly nation is now split into unionists and nationalists. Even though the majority vote was no to independence, still the people of Scotland and its party leaders are hoping for another shot at independence. So the question is, did the people make the right choice, or would Scotland be a more prosperous nation by standing alone? Scotland should be given the chance to function on its own without the influence of other countries. With an independent Scotland’s wealth and if it is controlled by the right political party. It has great potential that could benefit the Scottish people massively.

Scottish Independence - Good or Bad Scotland is at a turning point. The 300-year old Union is some say no longer fit for purpose. Some say it was never designed for the 21st century world and it is well past it's sell by date and is holding Scotland back. The Scottish people voted to move forward, with a new, more Scottish approach from an SNP government. But many oppose these views saying that Scotland needs the rest of the UK and that the economic and social problems caused by independence would be catastrophic to the relationships between Scotland and the rest of the UK. In any case the government has published a white paper setting out a vision of independence and responsibility in the modern world. But is this idea beneficial to our country?

This therefore brings power closer to the Scottish people, through the Scottish Parliament, but in hand it takes power away from the English people. This may be because there is no purely English devolved body in comparison to the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly. Power is also brought closer to the people as devolved bodies can hold referendums; however, on the other hand, they are limited on what they can hold referendums about.

Within the United Kingdom, a recurring issue has been raised regarding the political position of Scotland and how the Scottish Parliament could better govern the country. To establish whether the quality of life could be improved for the Scottish people, key events, devolution, and the Scottish Parliament must be evaluated and analysed. The argument for greater power in decision making and the ability to implement change for the citizens of Scotland, has been central to Scottish politics for some time.

Nationalism has always been around, but it made its first real debut in early 1800’s Europe. Many countries at this time were striving to become independent, and get out from under the larger countries’

Scottish Politicians and Noblemen had assumed command of Scottish Society for centuries. But the Act of the Union changed this as Scotland’s political base migrated south to Westminster. With the lack of politicians, the need to pick a political side and the ever growing tolerance from the Presbyterian Church, the words spoken amongst intellectuals and scholars were spoken a little freer.

Today, the scourge of nationalism continues to infect humanity. Without doubt, in some circles, nationalism is hotly debated. For most people, however, the concept of nationalism is rarely questioned. In fact, it 's a foregone conclusion that people should love the nation in which they reside. Some people even take great pride in the fact that they were arbitrarily born in a specific geographical location. Unfortunately, like religion or capitalism, nationalism is alive and well in the 21st century.

Recently, Scotland has put the decision to separate from the United Kingdom or not up to a vote, and the competing sides turned out to be fairly equal. The sides include the “Better Together” campaign, those who would vote against Scottish independence due to the belief that Scotland’s independence would bring tension across the UK, and the opposing campaign “Yes Scotland,” which consists of those who are confident that Scotland could be stronger and better as an independent nation.

The nationalism in Scotland has run high, majority of them wanted devolution in the referendum in 1997, and finally it could have been a case that they would have had independence in 2014. On the other hand, not only economics, but also the Welsh language have been important issues for Wales, in terms of nationalism. Though the rise of their nationalism was not as clear as that of the Scots, it came to a point where they obtained devolution. For the both cases of the rise of nationalism in Scotland and Wales, it has always been democratic deficit that has been the problem in the both countries. That is to say, their opinion as countries has not been fully reflected in the UK's policy, and this has been a reason for the rise of nationalism. In spite of their obtaining devolution, it still keeps being a problem in the entire UK. As long as their independences are not decided, the government is required to deal with this problem, while controlling the people's

However, nationalism does not have one single definition, its meaning has evolved as society changes and modernises. Nationalism can “...refer to any behaviour designed to restore, maintain, or advance public images of that national community” (Gries, 2005:9). By the mid-1960s there were two main proposals to understanding nationalism. “In the first, nationalism was an aspect of national history, a sentiment associated with the nation...In the second approach, nationalism was a modern, irrational doctrine which could acquire sufficient power...to generate nationalists sentiments and even nation states” (Gellner, 2008:xx). Nationalism is defined differently by different schools of thought and theorists.

Nationalism is the idea that a people who have much in common, such as language, culture and geographic proximity ought to organize in such a way that it creates a stable and enduring state. Nationalism is tied to patriotism, and it is the driving force behind the identity of a culture. Nationalism had many effects in Europe from 1815, The Congress of Vienna and beyond. In the following essay I will describe many of the consequences of nationalism on European identity, as well as some of the conflicts that it created.