Paper short abstract:

Taking an interactive model of contrary cultural change as its starting point, the paper explores the heritage implications of a "yes" vote in the Scottish referendum from the perspective of a co-created independent nation state in a post-nationalist Europe.

Paper long abstract:

The dialectic of "Heimat" and "Herrschaft" has been postulated as the driving force behind regional development and the evolution of heritage (Kockel 1988). This paper takes the model a step further and considers its application in a contemporary politico-anthropological context. Rather than taking the two forces as confrontational, as originally postulated, their co-creative potential is assessed with particular reference to the current debate on Scottish independence. In an allegedly post-nationalist Europe, the rise of micro-nationalisms has been much commented on. Where a putative nation such as Scotland finds itself at the crossroads of nation-statehood, the spectre of alternative / conflicting potential heritages arises. The paper looks at how the protagonists in the debate, seeing themselves as opponents, actually collaborate in co-creating heritage futures that can confuse and disorientate the electorate, to the point where either side votes contrary to its own best interest.