Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
The research investigated interpretations of Scotland's imperial role and its displacement as a dominant representation of national identity between c. 1918 – c. 1970. Key aims of the research were to map civil society organisations concerned with empire in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow; and provide in depth case studies of two key Scottish institutions demonstrating a continuing interest in empire, the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC). The research found that the late 19th and early 20th century represented the high point of imperialist enthusiasm in Scotland, manifested in celebrations of the Scottish contribution to empire. Thereafter attitudes to the empire became more differentiated: anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism became a consistent feature of the labour movement in Scotland, middle-class enthusiasm for the Dominions was pronounced in the inter-war years; in the post-war years adjustments were made to the changing British Commonwealth, the process of decolonisation itself provoked hotly contested positions between certain groups in Scottish society. Connections to and interest in the empire were part of the local identities of all four major Scottish cities. Major institutions such as the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Trades Union Congress moved from having divergent perspectives on empire to occasional parallel support for aspects of decolonisation, such as African independence movements. This laid the ground for the emergence of broad alliances on international issues, such as the Anti-Apartheid Movement. The experience of empire contributed to the development of a Scottish internationalism, which has often been claimed as a positive national characteristic.
Main Topics:
26 oral history interviews were conducted with 28 participants, broadly divided into two groups – former missionaries and others who were connected to the Church of Scotland, activists in labour movement organisations, NGOs, and race equality organisations: Interviewees were identified through a 'snowball' technique, where contacts initially approached suggested other people. The purpose of the interviews was to explore individuals' attitudes to the British empire, through their experience of living in colonial territories (where this applied), and through activities which contributed to public debates about the nature of empire, colonialism, etc. The interviews contributed information that is not available in documentary form where organisational archives do not exist, or may not ever exist, as well as providing information about personal experiences and views likely only to be documented through interviews. The interviews contribute to the understanding of how attitudes to empire and colonialism changed from the 1950s through to the 1980s, the role of personal experience in shaping attitudes, the interconnections between civil society organisations; and generational shifts in attitudes and discourses.
No sampling (total universe)
Face-to-face interview
