Paper short abstract:

Against a background of multiple cultural peripherality within Scotland as a geographical periphery, the paper charts the emergence of 'Creative Ethnology', a movement of cultural activists and academic researchers seeking out new ways of engaged anthropological practice, inspired by geopoetics.

Paper long abstract:

The political and public confidence built up over nearly two decades of devolution has resulted in an increasingly clear expression of what culture means for Scotland, and where this differs from what is articulated by the UK government and mainstream media. The debate around independence before and in the aftermath of the 2014 referendum has shifted what some Scottish politicians appear to view as the key terrain of cultural policy. Against that background of multiple cultural peripherality within a geographical periphery, the paper charts the emergence of a 'Creative Ethnology' movement in which cultural activists and academic researchers are coming together to find new ways of engaged practice, drawing on diverse sources. Particular emphasis will be on Kenneth White's (2004) call for a renewal of anthropology through geopoetics, and on the development of "thinking machines" inspired by the interdisciplinary work of Patrick Geddes.