SCOTS HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED FOR YEARS
In a week where we found out via Alistair Campbell that our former Prime Minister Tony Blair considers Scots to be "Whingeing Jocks" here is a typical example of biased reporting by the Press Association which then filters through other media. Various claims are made but very little evidence is there to back them up!
The raw figures are that the vast majority (76%) of people think of theirselves as Scottish first and only 23% are very proud of Britain, however the report seems to draw very different conclusions.
Let's face it our 'Scottish' education system has always been geared towards a rosy coloured British viewpoint of history and it's not so long since every classroom had a huge map with pink parts all over the world denoting the extents of the British Empire. For a long time Scottish history was not taught at all and even now it is marginalised and limited (kids were beaten for speaking in Scots for years). This classroom bias has a huge long term cultural effect.
We have also been awash with pro British propaganda and various British themed TV since the beginning of the BBC. Every day seems to provide a new documentary about WWII and outside Football and Rugby we have no independent representation (not even in Eurovision never mind the Olympics!), given that it would be strange indeed if there was no one who had some residual feelings (what does 'some pride' mean anyway?) about Britain, whether based on reality or not.
Our education system is also geared towards a rosy coloured British viewpoint of history and it's not so long since every classroom had a huge map with pink parts all over the world denoting the extents of the British Empire.
What's most obvious is that Scottish identity is on the rise despite all the above factors.
The report claims: "Scots, even those who say they are 'Scottish not British' are not hostile to the idea of Britain, its history, or its empire, and are happy to think of it in cultural unifying terms."
There are also plenty of people around who are Scots not British and believe the Empire was a racism fuelled international embarrassment and that the British state has long outlived it's usefulness to both Scotland and England.
This view is the one which is genuinely on the rise for obvious reasons.
-----Original Message-----
From: mediapoint.scotland@pa.press.net
SCOTS 'STILL HAVE SENSE OF BRITISHNESS'
SOCIAL British
12 Jul 2007 - 16:49
By Katrine Bussey, Political Reporter Scottish Press Association
Scots still have a sense of being British, despite an increasing sense of Scottish national identity, academics said today.
Edinburgh University researchers Frank Bechhofer and David McCrone studied issues surrounding national identity.
And they found that despite a strengthening sense of Scottishness over the past 30 years, there is still a widespread sense of being British both north and south of the border.
The proportion of people identifying themselves as Scottish has risen from 65% in 1974 to 76% in 2005.
But the academics, from the University's Institute of Governance, say that while people are more likely to identify themselves as being Scottish rather than British, most are not opposed to Britain.
Their paper is published in the current edition of The Political Quarterly just weeks after Gordon Brown - who has made repeated calls for greater pride in the British identity - took office as Prime Minister.
The researchers state that while levels of pride in Britain are higher among the English than the Scots, there is a "clear majority" in Scotland who take some pride in Britain.
The SNP formed a minority administration in the Scottish Parliament following its election victory in May.
The survey asked people how proud they were of being British, with 41% in England describing themselves as "very proud" compared to 23% of Scots.
At the same time in England, 79% expressed some pride in being British, compared to 64% in Scotland.
The authors concluded that the data is "certainly not compatible with a strong rejection of being British".
They added: "The dominant impression is that a majority of people in Scotland take some pride in being British.
"Scots, even those who say they are 'Scottish not British' are not hostile to the idea of Britain, its history, or its empire, and are happy to think of it in cultural unifying terms."
The study also looked at politics and national identity, with the researchers stating that a person's sense of national identity was only "loosely associated" with their political preferences.
Among supporters of the Conservative Party - traditionally the most unionist of the parties - 76% described themselves as being at least as Scottish as they are British.
And among SNP supporters, only 51% reject any idea of Britishness, describing themselves as 'Scottish not British'.
Further it is only among people who regard themselves as being Scottish and not British that there is a majority of support for Scottish independence, with 51% of this group backing such a move.
Professor McCrone said: "The relatively weak association between identity and party political support or even views on independence suggests it is difficult to mobilise national identity in a straightforwardly political way."
