Full Description
Originally published in 1978, this book explores the relationship between the Gaelic and English spheres of life, from the life of the bilingual Gael, in the confrontation of Highland and Lowland Scotland and the literary expressions of these. It is argued that the picture of Gaelic society that is popularly accepted does not owe its form to any simple observation, but to symbolic and metaphorical requirements imposed by the larger society. Beginning with the birth of the Romantic movement and moving on to modern Gaelic literature and anthropological studies, aspects of the relationship of a dominant to a 'minority' culture are raised. The racial stereotypes of Celt and Anglo-Saxon that were widely accepted in the 19th Century are also discussed, and the understanding of how a dominant intellectual world has used Gaelic society in the process of seeking its own definition is pursued through a study of the concepts of 'folklore' and the 'folk'.
Contents
1. The Nature of the Problem and Its Background 2. The Substance of Nationalism 3. The Rise of the SNP: Some Theories 4. The Political Background 5. The Scottish Economy 6. The Effects of Literary Nationalism 7. Youth and Nationalism 8. The Role of the Church, the Army and Football 9. The Scottish Press 10. The SNP Vote: Some Relations and Conclusions 11. The Beginnings of Modern Nationalism 12. The Nationalism in Scotland 13. The Scottish National Party 14. The Present Organisation of the SNP 15. Conclusion Appendix A: National Party of Scotland Constitution 1931 Appendix B: SNP Constitution, 1948
