The 18th-century Scottish moral philosopher Adam Smith claimed that the true wealth of the nation lay in its culture. More recent writers have argued that contemporary Scottish politics, including questions about independence, have often been infused with or even driven by cultural activism, and that reading, seeing, hearing, and participating in cultural activity have been ways in which Scottish people think about and act on political issues.

In this course, we will explore Scottish cultural activity from the late 19th century to the present—including imagined futures-- through literature of many kinds, visual arts of many kinds, performances of many kinds, music of many kinds, and more. The material of the course will include drama, film, fiction, poetry, music, landscape works, creative engagements with science and technology, and the visual arts. Students will examine Scottish history through how it has been used and transformed both in canonical works and new, ongoing work.

Cliches and stereotypes of Scotland are easy to describe and to dismiss as inadequate. But we will explore Scottish cultural history not in order to debunk some claims about “Scottishness” or “national identity” and replace them with other claims we like better but to consider how Scottish cultural history itself complicates, multiplies, or refuses such claim-making.

Course Requirements:

Intended Audience:

Students from all majors are welcome and no previous knowledge is assumed.