Scotland: society and culture

‘Except for viewers in Scotland’. This announcement, heard frequently on television, has always highlighted for viewers that Scotland was about to receive its own news, current affairs, sport or other programmes, separately from England and Wales. In other words, it signalled ‘difference’ – that Scotland, while part of the UK, was nevertheless somehow different and distinctive – and in this chapter, we explore some of those distinctions. We begin by examining the strengthening of national identity, before moving on to look at education, employment, gender, ethnicity and culture. Taken together, these various aspects of society will hopefully help us to understand better that distinctiveness. We will conclude the chapter with a look at current research into Scottish society and consider the state of the discipline.