Scottish cringe
The Scottish cringe is a cultural cringe relating to Scotland, and claimed to exist by politicians and commentators.[1][2][3]
These Scottish cultural commentators claim that a sense of cultural inferiority is felt by many Scots, particularly in relation to a perceived dominance of English or anglocentric British culture, partly due to the importance of London, within the United Kingdom, and consequently a sense of Scottish resentment and underachievement. The cringe is said to manifest as:
- feelings of low self-worth and embarrassment felt by Scottish people in response to overt expressions of Scottish cultural identity[4] and heritage such as the Lowland Scots and Scottish Gaelic languages, and the kilt (see Tartanry)
- a sycophantic attachment to the way things are done in other English-speaking countries, such as England or the United States
- even though part of the ruling state within the British Empire, a belief by many Scots that they are victims of English colonialism and cultural imperialism within British institutions, such as the perceived marginalisation of coverage of Scottish affairs by the BBC and politically, during the Thatcher-era.
Opposition
Opposition has been voiced to the idea that this sense is widespread.
For example, Scottish historian Niall Ferguson (a Harvard professor), in a piece in the Daily Telegraph,[5] put forward a position that in fact:
| “ | We regard it as only right and proper that the world sees in the New Year by singing a Scottish song. We take it for granted that half the broadcasters on the BBC are Scotsmen. We don't envy the English. We pity them. There is no Scottish cringe, in the Australian fashion. There is only the Scottish swagger - a swagger inspired by the authentically Calvinist certainty that we and only we (by which of course I mean we White Aggressively Scottish Protestant* males) are the Elect**. | ” |
| —Niall Ferguson | ||
The author then proceeds to put forth why the Scottish identity should be put in liquidation.
See also
References
- ↑ "'I want to end the Scottish cringe'", BBC News, 28 February 2004. URL accessed on 10 June 2006.
- ↑ "Taking Scots beyond the 'cringe'", BBC News, 24 November 2003. URL accessed on 10 June 2006.
- ↑ We must shake off the Scottish cringe and win back our sporting pride", Scotsman.com, 27 March 2004. URL accessed on 10 June 2006.
- ↑ Unger, J. (2010) "Legitimating inaction: Differing identity constructions of the Scots language" in European Journal of Cultural Studies Volume 13:99-117
- ↑ "Happy Hogmanay - and to celebrate, let's put Scotland into liquidation". Telegraph. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
External links
http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/bloggers/why-we-scots-love-a-good-cultural-cringe.2012032669