On the Scottish Referendum
During our Sociology Fundamentals class at Edinburgh University, we were asked to do a rough poll on the referendum for Scottish independence. Although this was a while ago in ''internet years'' (is that a thing? I'll make it a thing) it will probably benefit me to write from a calmer more acclimatised state of mind.
Anyone following the debate throughout will know it was INCREDIBLY close throughout- you couldn't call it. Our rough poll was pretty much the same. The question was " What are you going to vote in the referendum?" My own results were:
Yes (8) Of which female (3) male (5) Nationalities regardless of gender and self-ascribed: Scottish, Danish, Irish, British, English and Greek
No (7) Of which female (6) male (1) Nationalities regardless of gender and self-ascribed: British, German/English, Scottish and UK.
Undecided (1) female (1) male (0) Nationalities regardless of gender and self-ascribed: UK
Not voting (10) female(7) male (3) Nationalities regardless of gender and self-ascribed: Nepalese, Polish, Chinese (Hong Kong), US, French
Quite clearly, the stratification is a bit slap-dash. Had this been a more pre-meditated organised poll I would have had a more qualified description of the person; meaning for each individual I would note the age, gender, ethnicity, nationality and whether they were able to vote (in the case where they could not vote I would ask them what they would vote if they could).
Upon carrying out he poll I did not expect gender to have such an effect on the vote. On the No side, there is a clear slant with 6 females and only 1 male. I would have thought that considering the Yes campaign planned for improved childcare provision, that more women if not most would have voted Yes. As we know, childcare provision is a great obstacle when it comes to women's careers due to gender role socialisation and pay gap. However, it is possible that the No campaign's "think of your children" (we all know that advert featuring a mum with her cuppa don't we?) approach would have played rather effectively on that gender role socialisation of women and therefore contributed to more voting no in my poll- as voting Yes would be associated with not caring about their families' future.
Nationality was also a key feature in the voting decisions. It was interesting to see the difference in self-ascription of nationality between the Scots, the Brits, the 'UK's and the 'UK for now's. The conflict between identities was most prominent for the Scots, as those voted no felt they must really pinpoint the fact that they were Scots, and they were voting No. Arguably because voting No was associated with less pride in Scottish nationality and more of an emotional investment in the UK. One participant that particularly stuck in my mind was an older lady, who in reply to "what are you going to vote in the referendum?" said :"I am a Scot and I am voting No." The Yes voters, however did not mention their nationality until asked specifically to provide it- whether English, Scottish or Danish etc.
It is thought-provoking to see from this rough poll, how much people's identity was used as a tool for putting across arguments. From the No campaign we can see aspects of female identity, however biased and dated, such as the mother role, being used to gain a vote from women. This feature frustrates me as a feminist and as a woman. It pains me that a political organisation made a campaign aimed specifically at me (an aspiring university student with plans for a career and a family), using simplified language, and only let my imagination go as far as the four walls of my kitchen and my thoughts as far as my husband and children. Literally. Take a look at the advert here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLAewTVmkAU .
Similarly, it is interesting to see how important identity was to those Scots voting 'No'. During the lead up to the campaign there were a lot of posters with messages along the lines of 'I love Scotland, that's why I'm voting No'. Many people (in my own experience) associated Scot pride with the Yes vote and extreme nationalism, and a No vote with more pro-London identities, however since the aftermath of the referendum (the unionist demonstrations in George Square, Glasgow) perhaps this was a misconception. It was those nationalists (albeit British nationalists rather than specifically Scottish) whom demonstrated that ignorant stance often attributed to the stereotypical Old Scot. It is an established criticism that the No campaign preyed on the emotions of the electorate more than showing what they actually had to offer in the way of power to the Scottish people.
This is not to say that there was no emotion in the Yes camp. When I read the results I rolled over in my bed and did not want to get up. I saw the options offered by the Yes campaign to be competitive with the rest of the European Union, more so than the politics of Westminster. I wanted to see the 14th wealthiest nation spread its funds amongst its people. I wanted more childcare for the future careers of the women and girls of Scotland. I wanted to see humanitarian aid for the people of Palestine instead of funding arms for Israel. I wanted renewable energy. None of my reasons began with 'I am from... and I am voting yes', although I am from a place where the Scottish referendum has a great effect (Catalunya). My emotion was sheer disappointment. The feeling of being so close to something great, a change for better and losing it.
It is so very hard to write about the referendum unbiased when you had a stake in it, Yes or No. I honestly didn't expect to be able to draw any conclusions from my poll, because I thought "this is the most unreliable piece of data EVER". However it is with the benefit of hindsight, perhaps, that I have been able to present various hypotheses.
