Defence Policy of Independent Scotland: Role of International Norms and Legitimity in the Process of Proposal Formation

My bachelor's thesis "Defence Policy of Independent Scotland: Role of International Norms and Legitimity in the Process of Proposal Formation" deals with the genesis of proposals for defence policy of an independent Scotland, which served the Scots as a basis for their vote in the referendum "Should Scotland be an independent country?" I will try to explain the effect of the norms which exist in three communities (NATO, United Kingdom and the Nordic countries) on the defence policy of an emerging state I will be using theories of institutionalism and social constructivism. Then I'd like to show how these models were used rhetorically in the pre- referendum political discourse. While advocates of independence are aiming at distinguishing Scotland from the United Kingdom, Scotland identifies itself with the Nordic countries and their orientation on a fair society and welfare state and responsible environmental and foreign policy to some extent (Denmark and Norway in particular) and also in the area of defence policy are their positions regarded as a possible way for an independent Scotland to take. They are used as a possible alternative to British positions and also as means of legitimizing seemingly controversial proposals in the debate preceding the referendum. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org