Taking the nation to heart: a musical exploration of the role and significance of emotional geographies in the (re)production of Scottish national identities

Abstract

Nation and nationalism are powerful political ideas whose tenacity has intrigued social scientists since the 1920s. Many academic commentators recognise that the power and persistence of nation and nationalism is underpinned by the emotional attachments that people have to these ideas. However, few consider why or how these political phenomena gain their emotional power. This thesis challenges these omissions by thinking about the emotional geographies which (re)produce and maintain Scottish national identities. In order to access the emotional content of `Scottishness' the empirical research focuses on musical performances; a medium of expression which has always been recognised for its emotional engagements. Drawing on research carried out at two `Scottish' music festivals - Celtic Connections and T in the Park - this work employs a mix of experimental and more conventional qualitative methods ranging from participant sensing to in-depth interviews.

My methodological approach attempts to engage with the established conviction that identity is a dynamic process in a positive and meaningful way. The research therefore attempts to capture Scottish identities in the making; it focuses both on what `Scottishness' is, and on what `Scottishness' might become. More specifically this work is concernedo n the one hand with how `Scottishness'i s (re)presenteda nd recognised through musical forms and idioms, and, on the other hand, with how Scottish characteristics are constituted through performance and listening practices. One of the main arguments made is that ideas of nation, nationalism and national identity gain their emotional power from their capacity to allow people to feel secure, temporally connected and socially and culturally rooted. Musical performances seem to inspire the shared and `intimate' experiences that underpin such feelings. However, the argument is made that nationhood and nationalism are not the only or the most equitable or useful political vehicles through which these emotional geographies can be channelled. Indeed, the same emotional geographies could inform the establishment and maintenance of alternative socio-political structures that deliver wellbeing in more effective and just ways.