The making and the portrayal of Scottish distinctiveness: how does the narrative create its audience?

Marcus Nicolson*, Umut Korkut

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)
228 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

How do states present themselves as inclusive towards migrants and their citizens? This article traces the discourse-to-audience framework through an analysis of the Scottish government's rhetoric on Scottish distinctiveness and its effect on how young migrants see Scotland. In order, we examine how the discourse of Scottish distinctiveness is constructed and conveyed through a close examination of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's public speeches. Through the examples given, we see how an image of Scotland as open, inclusive and outward-looking is invoked. We then examine how the discourse fosters its audiences through narrative interviews conducted with young adult migrants living in Scotland. We operationalize Foucault's theory of governmentality to this extent and argue that the macro narrative of distinctiveness directs the ‘conduct of conduct’ of young migrants in Scottish society.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)151-164
Number of pages14
JournalInternational Migration
Volume60
Issue number5
Early online date25 Nov 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2022

Keywords

  • narrative
  • migration
  • discourse
  • discourse analysis
  • governance
  • Foucault
  • Scotland
  • identity politics
  • nationalism

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Demography

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The making and the portrayal of Scottish distinctiveness: how does the narrative create its audience?'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this