Professors from Brock University’s departments of history, political science and popular culture are co-organizing a full-day symposium that will examine the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence from many different angles.
The symposium – A “good year for a referendum” – takes place Friday, Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Sankey Chamber. The event is free and open to the public.
Three centuries ago, the parliaments of England and Scotland joined forces as one country, Great Britain. Now, Scotland’s sovereignty movement is looking reclaim its nationhood back from Great Britain. On Sept. 18, four million people, will go to the polls to say “Yes” or “No” to the question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”
David Hutchison, from Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland, will deliver the day’s keynote address from 3 to 4 p.m. He recently co-edited a book on mass media and the referendum, and his talk is entitled, “The Referendum and the Media: Perilous Voyage on Unknown Seas.”
Throughout the day, Brock professors and guests will deliver presentations and answer questions related to the history, popular culture and politics of Scottish identity and independence. Highlights include:
- “A good year to hold a battle: 1314, the battle of Bannockburn and Scottish Independence,” by Andrew McDonald, professor of History from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
- “Rock Action: Music, Culture and the Pros and Cons of Independence,” by Scott Henderson, associate professor of Communications, Popular Culture and Film, from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
- “Should Scotland be an Independent Country?” by Paul Hamilton, associate professor of Political Science from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m.
For more info and a full schedule of the day’s talks, click here.
This public symposium is sponsored by the Council on Research in Social Science (CRISS)
