The Independence Generation? A Sociological Enquiry

Previous research into national identity in Scotland has found older generations more inclined to subscribe to a British national identity with younger generations having shifted to a Scottish national identity. This research asks if the rise in Scottish nationalism between the generations is the result of this shift in national identity and has taken advantage of the historic opportunity presented by the 2014 Scottish Referendum debate to investigate the sociological process which underline different generation's perceptions of Scottish nationalism. I have constructed two categories: the pre-devolution generation and the post-devolution generation, in order to frame my data. The findings show that the pre-devolution generation are less inclined to vote for independence than the post-devolution generation, with opposition highest among females and middle-class informants with being working-class appearing to be integral to claiming a Scottish national identity.ba_psysocunpub1642_ethesesunpu