Symptoms of banal nationalism in the process of ethno-political contestation in the British Isles

Symptoms of banal nationalism in the process of ethno-political contestation in the British Isles Abstract This thesis deals with the concept of banal nationalism (Billig 1995) and it's symptoms in Scotland and Wales. The aim of this thesis is to create theoretical and conceptual framework which is necessary for introduction to the study of banal nationalism. This is achieved by systemic review of the relevant literature. A broad spectrum of components of banal nationalism has been identified in Scotland and Wales. The review has found that banal nationalism is most commonly reproduced by the media, such as the daily press. It is also embedded in the landscape and manifests itself in the people's day-to-day lives. The thesis points out ways to identify banal nationalism in political documents, banknotes and postcards. It shows how individual manifestations vary in every region: For example, in Scotland, they tend to come from institutions much more often than in Wales. In Scotland, targeted guerrilla campaigns, which do occur in Wales, are not seen. Key words: banal nationalism, sub-state nationalism, Scotland, Wales, regional competence, devolutio