Scotland's Diasporas in Comparative International Perspective
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of History, Classics and Archaeology
Abstract
This seminar series seeks to advance the study of global migration into and out of Scotland by bridging historical and contemporary approaches through the application of a multidisciplinary and comparative framework to little researched areas in the field. It is timely and important in light of Scotland's rising population figures, growing diasporic consciousness among policy makers at home and emigrant communities overseas, and especially the forthcoming referendum in 2014 on Scotland's independence. Bringing together academics from a range of disciplines, together with policy makers, practitioners, and those in the voluntary sector and public domain, it will more broadly seek to infuse the study of historical migrations with relevant and debated theoretical and conceptual frameworks from the social sciences, and integrate the study of contemporary mobility with insights from the past. This is critical for the study of migration to and from Scotland, particularly its historical dimension, is under-theorised and under-conceptualised, while contemporary movement is often theoretically rather than empirically informed with little appreciation of historical context.
The seminar programme comprises seven two-day seminars centred on key themes and one two-day international conference. Each gathering will be organised by one or more of the applicants in conjunction with key public partners including politicians (Scottish Migration to England); Surgeons Hall Museum/Royal College of Surgeons (Scotland's Medical Diaspora); International Slavery Museum Liverpool (Scotland and Slavery); National Museums Scotland (Public Spaces and Forgotten Suffering); Sri Lanka's Ministry of Higher Education (Scottish Ties to Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean World); Trades House Glasgow (Religious Tensions and A8 Immigrant Receiving Countries); and the Scottish Government (Scotland's Diaspora Strategy). Each seminar will conclude with a roundtable session guided by the applicants reflecting on progress made on the key topics, methodologies, and concepts arising from the meetings.
A central component of the seminars will be engagement with debated concepts in migration studies such as diaspora, transnationalism, ethnicity, identity, and legacies. Anthropologists, sociologists, economists, demographers, heritage studies scholars, and museologists will provide disciplinary insights into these frameworks with a view to extending our understanding of the insights they generate. The series will also be informed by an important comparative framework provided by the applicants and invited commentators, to assess in what ways migrants to and from Scotland differed or resembled other ethnic groups. Invited speakers will similarly showcase a range of methodologies (including quantitative, anthropological, and ethnographic approaches) that they have developed to inform their perspectives on migration, and the various seminar groups will brainstorm new methods for future research on migration. The research informed policy and practice implications of these seminars is a further critical component of the series with those involved promoting knowledge exchange, furthering dialogue with policymakers and practitioners across a range of sectors, and informing international debates on the topic. It is hoped to demonstrate that detailed study of the Scottish case has broader and more general resonance in diaspora studies.
As well as establishing an international research network comprising established, early career academics, postgraduate students, policy makers, and practitioners who will explore collaborative research agendas, other key outcomes of the seminar sessions include: a range of high quality publications in high impact journals; four edited collections; and the development of a museum exhibition.
The seminar programme comprises seven two-day seminars centred on key themes and one two-day international conference. Each gathering will be organised by one or more of the applicants in conjunction with key public partners including politicians (Scottish Migration to England); Surgeons Hall Museum/Royal College of Surgeons (Scotland's Medical Diaspora); International Slavery Museum Liverpool (Scotland and Slavery); National Museums Scotland (Public Spaces and Forgotten Suffering); Sri Lanka's Ministry of Higher Education (Scottish Ties to Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean World); Trades House Glasgow (Religious Tensions and A8 Immigrant Receiving Countries); and the Scottish Government (Scotland's Diaspora Strategy). Each seminar will conclude with a roundtable session guided by the applicants reflecting on progress made on the key topics, methodologies, and concepts arising from the meetings.
A central component of the seminars will be engagement with debated concepts in migration studies such as diaspora, transnationalism, ethnicity, identity, and legacies. Anthropologists, sociologists, economists, demographers, heritage studies scholars, and museologists will provide disciplinary insights into these frameworks with a view to extending our understanding of the insights they generate. The series will also be informed by an important comparative framework provided by the applicants and invited commentators, to assess in what ways migrants to and from Scotland differed or resembled other ethnic groups. Invited speakers will similarly showcase a range of methodologies (including quantitative, anthropological, and ethnographic approaches) that they have developed to inform their perspectives on migration, and the various seminar groups will brainstorm new methods for future research on migration. The research informed policy and practice implications of these seminars is a further critical component of the series with those involved promoting knowledge exchange, furthering dialogue with policymakers and practitioners across a range of sectors, and informing international debates on the topic. It is hoped to demonstrate that detailed study of the Scottish case has broader and more general resonance in diaspora studies.
As well as establishing an international research network comprising established, early career academics, postgraduate students, policy makers, and practitioners who will explore collaborative research agendas, other key outcomes of the seminar sessions include: a range of high quality publications in high impact journals; four edited collections; and the development of a museum exhibition.
Planned Impact
WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS RESEARCH?
Through the geographic reach of events organised under the auspices of the seminar series, established and emerging scholars in leading population centres will be provided with opportunities to engage in its multidisciplinary research. Although the direct social scientific benefits will be most meaningful to academics, policy-makers, public historians, and politicians with a professional or personal interest in the long-term impact of migration to and from Scotland, the seminar series' broader societal relevance will interest multiple audiences within the UK and beyond in this crucial period of modern history. The research will also benefit those interested in diaspora studies more broadly, in light of recent increases in internal mobility, immigration debates and controversies affecting government policies, and increasing interest in government worldwide in making contact with their diasporas.
The public engagement agendas at the core of the programme - ensuring as many elected politicians, policy makers, civil servants and local authority strategists are as involved as academics - will present a potentially watershed moment in the public impact of diaspora research. In particular, the series can provide a fruitful avenue for critical evaluation of the Scottish Executive's highly-publicised Diaspora Strategy during the second 'Year of Homecoming' celebrations in 2014. These take place fifteen years after political responsibility for tourism and immigration were devolved to Holyrood and when tourism (of which 'roots tourism' is an important subset) produces the second largest private income stream in the Scottish economy.
Arguably, however, the most meaningful public benefit arising from these seminars will be educational. Teachers and public educators, heritage learning representatives at national museums, libraries, and local authorities across Scotland, as well as those involved in schools where English is no longer the first language of learners, will gain not only from participation but outputs. The effects of contemporary immigration have permanently changed the face of Scottish society, and especially its two largest cities together with parts of the Borders and Highlands. Yet academic knowledge of the transformation is thin on the ground. The seminars will go some way to rectifying this information and analytical deficit.
HOW WILL THEY BENEFIT?
* Events in the Palace of Westminster, Surgeons Hall Museum/Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh), International Slavery Museum (part of National Museums Liverpool), National Museums Scotland, Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Trades House of Glasgow, and Holyrood will be accessible to all interested parties.
* Published outcomes including websites, social media and e-lists, will ensure communication during the seminar series. Contributions will be archived to present a snap-shot of contemporary opinion of Scots at home and in the diaspora at a crucial political stage in Scottish, British, and European life.
* Broader media dissemination will be facilitated by the high profile status of several of the participants (a former British Prime Minister, the First Minister of Scotland, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs in the Scottish Government, the Scottish Government Diaspora spokesperson, the President of Free the Slaves, the former British High Commissioner to Australia, and the current British High Commissioner for Sri Lanka) and the applicants' collective media experience.
* The contributions of local policy makers and stakeholders (especially black, Asian and minority ethnic organisations) will be integrated into all seminars through their attendance and participation.
Through the geographic reach of events organised under the auspices of the seminar series, established and emerging scholars in leading population centres will be provided with opportunities to engage in its multidisciplinary research. Although the direct social scientific benefits will be most meaningful to academics, policy-makers, public historians, and politicians with a professional or personal interest in the long-term impact of migration to and from Scotland, the seminar series' broader societal relevance will interest multiple audiences within the UK and beyond in this crucial period of modern history. The research will also benefit those interested in diaspora studies more broadly, in light of recent increases in internal mobility, immigration debates and controversies affecting government policies, and increasing interest in government worldwide in making contact with their diasporas.
The public engagement agendas at the core of the programme - ensuring as many elected politicians, policy makers, civil servants and local authority strategists are as involved as academics - will present a potentially watershed moment in the public impact of diaspora research. In particular, the series can provide a fruitful avenue for critical evaluation of the Scottish Executive's highly-publicised Diaspora Strategy during the second 'Year of Homecoming' celebrations in 2014. These take place fifteen years after political responsibility for tourism and immigration were devolved to Holyrood and when tourism (of which 'roots tourism' is an important subset) produces the second largest private income stream in the Scottish economy.
Arguably, however, the most meaningful public benefit arising from these seminars will be educational. Teachers and public educators, heritage learning representatives at national museums, libraries, and local authorities across Scotland, as well as those involved in schools where English is no longer the first language of learners, will gain not only from participation but outputs. The effects of contemporary immigration have permanently changed the face of Scottish society, and especially its two largest cities together with parts of the Borders and Highlands. Yet academic knowledge of the transformation is thin on the ground. The seminars will go some way to rectifying this information and analytical deficit.
HOW WILL THEY BENEFIT?
* Events in the Palace of Westminster, Surgeons Hall Museum/Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh), International Slavery Museum (part of National Museums Liverpool), National Museums Scotland, Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Trades House of Glasgow, and Holyrood will be accessible to all interested parties.
* Published outcomes including websites, social media and e-lists, will ensure communication during the seminar series. Contributions will be archived to present a snap-shot of contemporary opinion of Scots at home and in the diaspora at a crucial political stage in Scottish, British, and European life.
* Broader media dissemination will be facilitated by the high profile status of several of the participants (a former British Prime Minister, the First Minister of Scotland, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs in the Scottish Government, the Scottish Government Diaspora spokesperson, the President of Free the Slaves, the former British High Commissioner to Australia, and the current British High Commissioner for Sri Lanka) and the applicants' collective media experience.
* The contributions of local policy makers and stakeholders (especially black, Asian and minority ethnic organisations) will be integrated into all seminars through their attendance and participation.
Organisations
Publications
Devine T. M.
(2017)
The Scottish Experience in Asia, c.1700 to the Present: Settlers and Sojourners
McCarthy A
(2016)
Global Migrations: The Scottish Diaspora since 1600
| Description | This seminar series, from 2014 to 2016, sought to advance the study of global migration into and out of Scotland by bridging historical and contemporary approaches through the application of a multidisciplinary and comparative framework to little researched areas in the field. It has been the most wide-ranging research investigation into Scottish global migrations since the sixteenth century ever attempted. Moreover, nothing on its scale of the study of modern emigration has ever been undertaken for England, Ireland and Wales. Overall, 68 speakers contributed to the series and considered the Scottish (and other ethnic migration experiences) in a range of different locations, including China, the West Indies, England, Japan and Sri Lanka, which have only attracted minimal research attention in the past. A central objective was to internationalise the subject of Scottish migration studies in order to avoid the possibilities of intellectual parochialism and exceptionalism. This was achieved in two ways. First, contributors were drawn from several countries outside the UK including Ireland, France, Switzerland, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Second, as the series plan projected, whenever appropriate, papers were presented in a comparative international context with special attention to the most recent scholarly thinking on migration in general and not simply drawing on studies with a Scottish focus. Pathbreaking work was done in this respect, especially on Scots and colonial slavery, post-1945 immigration to Scotland, the Scottish experience in Asia in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and Scottish migrants in England. The research findings showed that the Scottish migration experience was distinctive in many respects. An interdisciplinary approach to the history of Scottish migration was also innovative. History remained the key discipline throughout but anthropologists, geographers, literary specialists, sociologists, archaeologists, museologists, and political scientists also added important insights to several of the seminars. This ensured the series conveyed a range of methodological approaches to the study of migration, including documentary sources, archaeological artefacts, and ethnographic approaches. The organisers invited the most influential scholars in relevant fields to take part but a considerable effort was also made to recruit younger talented researchers at postdoctoral and early academic career levels. Graduate students were targeted by invitations to all events. Fundamental to the project was the determination to ensure the widest possible dissemination of research results to audiences outside the academic community. To ensure this, partnerships were established with such organisations as National Museums Scotland, the Mitchell Library Glasgow, and the Scottish Refugee Council. Events were held in different locations such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, and Colombo (Sri Lanka). Speakers from beyond the academy were also invited and included politicians, heritage industry figures, and community workers. This involvement meant the research informed policy and practice promoting dialogue with policymakers and practitioners across a range of sectors. Titles of papers, speakers, dates and locations of each seminar were widely publicised on the series website (https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/scotsdiaspora) and on social media. Non-academic participants were always at each meeting, sometimes in considerable numbers. In addition, the proceedings of three of the seminars - global migrations, the Scottish experience in Asia, and Scotland and slavery - have been published by Edinburgh University Press and Palgrave Macmillan. A fourth output on modern immigration to Scotland, also contracted to EUP, is in press with publication due in July 2018. The volumes on slavery and that forthcoming on post-1945 immigrants to Scotland are the first ever to have been published on these respective subjects, while the collection on Scotland and Asia included innovative new research on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Historiographer Royal for Scotland, Professor Christopher Smout, said of Recovering Scotland's Slavery Past (2015) that 'the study of eighteenth century Scottish history will never be the same again after this book.' It can therefore be argued that in terms of its global range, important findings, comparative and interdisciplinary approaches and successful public dissemination, this seminar series might be taken as an academic model for subsequent studies of migration for other countries both in the UK and elsewhere. |
| Exploitation Route | Our findings will be of interest and use to upcoming scholars of diaspora, both Scottish and more generally. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Other |
| Description | The findings have been used to help third sector cultural, heritage and arts groups expand knowledge of the diverse ways in which the Scottish diaspora influenced the world. BME representatives in Scotland used the platform provided by the Slavery in Scotland event to increase nationwide interest in Black History Month (still in its infancy). Scottish associational groups in Hull used the Scots in England seminar to persuade Hull City Council to showcase its Scottish heritage more prominently. AHRC Heritage Consortium scholars used the Migration Museums and Memorials panel to frame PhD dissertations topics and presentations in the UK and further afield. The online engagement of the project also demonstrates its global reach. The 68 tweets for our project have engaged 395 followers, including students, academics, NGOs and members of the public. Analysis of the 33,818 visitor impressions, reveals 59% of followers were female, 57% of our audience were aged 25 to 34, and 15% were ages 34 to 44. Most followers (72%) were from the UK, of which 41% were from Scotland, 30% from England and 11% from London. Internationally, 12% were from the USA, 5% from Canada, 3 % from Australia and 1% New Zealand. Other followers were from Sweden, the Netherlands, Turkey, France and Denmark. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic |
| Description | Commemorating Diasporic Death at Home and Abroad |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Members of the team organised the seminar 'Scotland's diasporic death at home and abroad' in conjunction with National Museums Scotland on 25 November 2016. The seminar sought to examine the way that Scottish migrant deaths were commemorated at home and abroad during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Comparison with other migrant groups were also considered. It featured talks from national and international speakers as follows: Tom Addyman (Addyman Archaeology), Dr Nicholas J. Evans (University of Hull), Professor Bill Jones (Cardiff University), Dr Michael Linkletter (St Francis Xavier University), Professor Angela McCarthy (University of Otago), Professor John MacKenzie (University of Lancaster), Professor Harold Mytum (University of Liverpool), Samuel North (University of Hull) and Professor Laurie Stanley-Blackwell (St Francis Xavier University). The event connects with the AHRC funded project Remember Me: The Changing Face of Memorialisation (University of Hull). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/scotsdiaspora/seminar-8/ |
| Description | Immigrants to Scotland: 1945 to the Present |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This event, hosted in association with the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights, Scottish Refugee Council, and Glasgow City Archives, took place on 16 June 2016 and was a key event in the Refugee Festival Scotland programme for 2016. It sought to examine the experiences of immigrants to Scotland since 1945. Speakers came from throughout Britain to discuss a range of migrant groups including Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese, Polish, African, and Caribbean. Speakers were: Dr Eona Bell (University of London), Dr Stefano Bonino (Northumbria University), Professor Sir Tom Devine (University of Edinburgh), Dr Nicholas J. Evans (University of Hull), Professor Ailsa Henderson (University of Edinburgh), Dr Ima Jackson (Glasgow Caledonian University), Professor Angela McCarthy (University of Otago), Dr Teresa Piacentini (University of Glasgow) and Dr Emilia Pietka-Nykaza (University of the West of Scotland). The event attracted an audience of academics, policy makers, community workers, students, and the general public. The event will lead to a book publication: T. M. Devine and Angela McCarthy (eds), Scotland's Immigrants, 1945-2015 (under contract to Edinburgh University Press). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010,2016 |
| URL | https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/scotsdiaspora/seminar-7/ |
| Description | Seminar 1: Scotland and Sri Lanka |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Members of the team organised the seminar 'Scotland and Sri Lanka', in association with the International Centre for Ethnic Studies, Colombo, on 6 February 2014. The audience comprised academics, archivists, diplomats, members of the tea industry, Scottish migrants and their descendants, and the general public. The talks sparked a lively question and answer session and the event generated contacts and resources for team members to further advance a major book project on James Taylor, the 'Father of the Ceylon Tea Enterprise', in the broader context of Scottish migration to Ceylon. This co-authored book 'Tea and Empire: James Taylor in Victorian Ceylon' is in press with Manchester University Press (forthcoming September 2017). In addition, McCarthy has published two chapters: 'The Importance of Scottish Origins in the Nineteenth Century: James Taylor and Ceylon Tea', in Angela McCarthy and John M. MacKenzie (eds), Global Migrations: The Scottish Diaspora since 1600 (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2016), pp. 117-137; and 'Ceylon: A Scottish Colony?', in T.M. Devine and Angela McCarthy (eds), The Scottish Experience in Asia, c.1700 to the Present: Settlers and Sojourners (Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017), pp. 187-211. McCarthy and Devine were also keynote speakers at Scotland's first Tea Festival held in August 2014. After the talk, ongoing discussions were held in relation to a major project on the Scots in nineteenth century Ceylon. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/scotsdiaspora/seminar-1/ |
| Description | Seminar 2: Global Migrations of the Scottish People since 1600: Issues, Debates, Challenges |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | keynote/invited speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Members of the team organised the conference 'Global Migrations of the Scottish People Since 1600: Issues, Debates, Challenges', in association with the Scottish Government and National Museums Scotland, which was held between 4-6 July 2014. The aim of the conference was to present fascinating 'state of the art' research on the Scottish diaspora in a form geared to a general audience while still maintaining the highest academic standards. Leading speakers were drawn from Scotland, England, Ireland, Europe, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand. They included former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Scottish Executive members, and former British High Commissioner for Australia, Helen Liddell. Almost 70 per cent of attendees were members of the general public, both at home and abroad, including members of the American Scottish Foundation, Chicago Scots and individual members of the Scottish diaspora in Scotland as part of Homecoming 2014. Undergraduate and postgraduate students of several Scottish universities were also in attendance. One of the highlights of the event was the extent and robust nature of several of the exchanges at Q&A sessions. Also very gratifying was that in virtually every Q&A, 'lay' members of the audience contributed both questions and comment. It has also demonstrated the value of our partnership with National Museums Scotland as a key venue for our seminar events. The event has also led to a publication: Angela McCarthy and John M. MacKenzie (eds), Global Migrations: The Scottish Diaspora since 1600 (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2016). A review in the Herald Scotland newspaper in July 2016 described it as follows: 'This top-notch collection questions its share of assumptions The methodological scope is equally impressive The volume's bench of contributors (from the UK, the US, Australia and New Zealand) has a pleasingly global complexion, and the range of subjects covered certainly makes for a compelling read'. It was also chosen as a Scottish Review of Books Book of the Year for 2016 for being 'a major contribution to the subject with stimulating essays from both eminent established scholars and outstanding younger researchers. What is especially pleasing is the growing internationalisation of writing on Scottish history which it reveals.' Professor Angela McCarthy and John M. MacKenzie plan to bring the conference proceedings to publication. We have also begun the process of sharing information about our activities through social media including a blog, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. This enabled Scots overseas to interact with this event which was part of Scotland's Homecoming 2014. By far the greatest engagement, however, concerned Professor Devine's comments on devolution debates with a staggering 25,829 Facebook hits on h |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/history-classics-archaeology/news-events/events/global-migra... |
| Description | Seminar 3: Recovering Scotland's Slavery Past |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | keynote/invited speaker |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Members of the team organised the seminar 'Recovering Scotland's Slavery Past', in association with the Mitchell Library, on 3 October 2014. The seminar sought to further advance understanding on the controversial subject of the role of Scots merchants, plantation owners, and professionals in the transatlantic slave economies and their legacy in heritage sites, and how historical injustices should be addressed today, by setting the Scottish factor in a comparative context. Speakers included David Alston, Tom Devine, Nick Draper, Nicholas Evans, Eric Graham, Catherine Hall, Michael Morris, Stephen Mullen, Stuart Nisbet, Suzanne Schwarz and Iain White. All the talks sparked lively question and answer sessions and this was continued at the workshop for speakers the following day to discuss the book publication. Three external experts also participated in the workshop providing critiques of the papers and ideas for published outcomes of the gathering. Participants at the seminar were also able to view a slavery exhibition and learn more from collections held in the archives. Many postgraduate scholars of slavery from the University of Hull's Wilberforce Institute also attended and this broadened the disciplinary reach of the seminar to students from History, Heritage, Social Sciences, Film, and Law. Members of hard-to-reach BME audiences engaged with the slavery conference. Longer term outcomes include plans by representatives present of the Scottish Association of Teaching History to include the topic in the History curriculum taught at Scottish schools following planned curriculum reform. Significant media interest (TV, radio and national newspapers) echoed the sizeable and diverse audience on the day. Subsequently, Professor Sir Tom Devine and Dr Stephen Mullen were invited to present aspects of this research to several hundred people as part of the 11th Festival of Politics organised by the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood (http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/newsandmedia centre/91501.aspx]. Following the event, a book on the topic was published: T. M. Devine (ed.), Recovering Scotland's Slavery Past: The Caribbean Connection (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2015). Reviews: 'Scottish history has been subjected to sustained revision over the past generation. Many uncomfortable episodes and themes have been exposed but the one major exception has been the nation's involvement in slavery. This superb collection opens the field to intense academic scrutiny, suggests new areas of investigation and invites a long overdue national conversation' (Ewen Cameron, Sir William Fraser Professor of Scottish History and Palaeography, University of Edinburgh); 'Thomas Devine's impressive team of scholars confirms, individually and collectively, the pervasive and ubiquitous influence of Scots and Scotland on the shaping of Atlantic slavery. This pioneering volume also has a resonance far beyond slavery, underlining the impact of slavery on Scotland itself. Here is a book which ultimately demands a broader reappraisal of modern Scottish history' (James Walvin, author of Crossings: Africa, the Americas and the Atlantic Slave Trade); 'The bones are rattling once more in Scotland's closet and they are throwing down a challenge to our cultural and civic authorities. The full extent to which this nation was involved in the most brutal form of human trafficking has been laid bare in one of the most important books to be published in Scotland this century. Recovering Scotland's Slavery Past (The Caribbean Connection) is a collection of essays by academics who have begun properly to study and analyse Scotland's part in the African slave trade and why the country has been in complete denial about it since slavery was abolished in 1807' (Kevin McKenna, The Guardian). The event was covered by the media and the proceedings are being published by Edinburgh University Press. Media coverage included: http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/columnists/agenda-slavery-still-a-durable-institution-permeating-modern-scottish-life.25490411 http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/shocking-truth-of-scotlands-role-at-very-heart-of-slavery.25489540 http://news.stv.tv/west-central/294522-scotland-must-confront-historic-role-in-slave-trade-academics-say/ http://www.the |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/scotsdiaspora/seminar-3/ |
| Description | Seminar 4: Migration, Museums and Memorials |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The event, hosted in association with National Museums Scotland between 11-13 February 2015, sought to compare the representation of Scottish migration in museums and memorials with the representations of other migrant groups. Speakers hailed from New Zealand, France, Ireland, and Britain and the event attracted an audience of academics, heritage scholars, heritage professionals, PhD scholars (including from the USA) and the general public. Outcomes included: * Closer working involvement between participants and the proposed redevelopment of National Museums Scotland; * Access for PhD students to collections held behind the scenes at NMS - bolstering MA and PhD studies funded by the AHRC and HEIs; * Greater awareness of the individual efforts that differing diasporas have made to increase heritage installations around the world; * The vibrancy of the topic was evidenced by PhD and ECRs from France, New Zealand, and Ireland. One MA student attending the event was loaned important documents and this enabled him to achieve a distinction in this study of the role of Scotland and the US Civil War. * Further impact arose from the seminar's influence on the creation of an on-line Migration Museum of Dunedin (https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/global-dunedin/migration-museum-of-dunedin). This research-led teaching is an initiative of Professor McCarthy and her Honours class at the University of Otago. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/scotsdiaspora/seminar-4/ |
| Description | Seminar 5: Scots in Asia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Members of the team organised the seminar 'Scots in Asia', in association with the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies, on 26-27 June 2015. The seminar sought to explore the historical and contemporary experiences of the Scots in Asia. It began with a keynote lecture from Prof. Emeritus Sir Tom Devine and speakers included Dr Tom Barron, Dr Tanja Bueltmann, Dr Ellen Filor, Dr Joanna Frew, Dr Isabella Jackson, Prof. Angela McCarthy, Dr George McGilvary, Prof. Emeritus Patrick Peebles and Iain Watson. The most significant impact is the publication: T.M. Devine and Angela McCarthy (eds), The Scottish Experience in Asia, c.1700 to the Present: Settlers and Sojourners (Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/scotsdiaspora/seminar-5/ |
| Description | Seminar 6: Scots in England |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Members of the team organised the seminar 'Scots in England' in association with the Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation at the University of Hull on 30 January 2016. The seminar explored the historical and contemporary experiences of the Scots in England since the eighteenth century. Speakers at the event were Andrew Crummy, Dr Nicholas J. Evans, Richard Galley, Dr Erin Grant, Prof. Angela McCarthy, Lydia Saul, Prof. Suzanne Schwarz, Dr Duncan Sim and Dr Nuala Zahedieh. Among the audience were postgraduate students, academics, members of associational culture groups, artists, heritage professionals, and the general public. A significant portion of the group were from Hull. This ensured associational groups were able to engage in the seminars. The seminar was preceded the evening before by a keynote address from Professor Emeritus Sir Tom Devine on Scottish identity. Through these high profile events, the City of Hull has agreed to permanently exhibit the associational collections of the Scots Society of St Andrew, Hull, ahead of it being the 2017 UK City of Culture in 2017. The host organisation reported effective engagement with a range of members of the public (including business figures, artists, and members of diasporic groups). Closer working relationships between speakers on the First World War panel will enhance plans to commemorate the role of Scottish soldiers defending England during World War One. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2016 |
| URL | https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/scotsdiaspora/seminar-6/ |